For over 500 days, Sudan has been cloaked in the relentless chaos of war. Since April 15, 2023, a once-thriving land has been torn apart by death and destruction. The conflict has unleashed a displacement crisis unparalleled in our time, scattering nearly 12 million Sudanese from their homes. While 9.5 million have fled to safer regions within their own borders, another 2.5 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad, and South Sudan.
Amidst the heart-wrenching statistics—over 150,000 lives lost, 25 million people grappling with severe hunger—the human cost is staggering. A recent magazine article darkly forecasts that 2.5 million Sudanese might succumb to starvation by the end of the year.
The conflict has unleashed a displacement crisis unparalleled in our time, scattering nearly 12 million Sudanese from their homes.
Yet, in the midst of this harrowing reality, glimmers of hope emerge. Interserve, through its dedicated personnel, has been working tirelessly to help alleviate the suffering with relief work to Sudanese war refugees. Our workers distribute food, help families (mostly women and children) settle, provide trauma counselling, and arrange schooling options for the displaced refugees. Our personnel work in partnership with local churches and communities to identify the needs and take action.
In the heart of this tumult, Beth met Sarah—a brave Sudanese mother of four—through local friends and found out that Sarah was due to give birth in just a few weeks. Sarah had endured an arduous journey through the desert to reach safety and was now staying with her sister’s family in the city. Beth found out that Sarah had not been able to get essential items to prepare for the coming baby. The team sprang into action: Beth accompanied Sarah to a pharmacy to gather some basics. She helped Sarah make some cloth diapers, and she arranged for Sarah and her family to receive food bags through partner organizations.
Sarah had endured an arduous journey through the desert to reach safety and was now staying with her sister’s family in the city.
In the weeks that followed, Beth continued to show love in practical ways. When Sarah’s children faced rejection from a local school due to overcrowding, Beth stepped in and arranged for them to join another school. Additionally, Beth helped with the hospital expenses for Sarah’s cesarean section and the local care teams also followed through and provided further supplies and food for the family.
In due time, came the moment of joy. Sarah gave birth to baby Raphael—a symbol of hope in a landscape of despair. Sarah, baby Raphael, and his older siblings were embraced not just with material aid, but with the profound love of Jesus Christ through His disciples, ministering in His name. Sarah and her young family experienced a glimmer of grace in a place they had never expected to be resident and under circumstances they could never have imagined.
Sarah and her young family experienced a glimmer of grace in a place they had never expected to be resident and under circumstances they could never have imagined.
The scale of suffering may seem insurmountable, and the numbers overwhelming, but every act of love, every life touched, makes an impact. Interserve’s personnel cannot help everyone, but by His grace and compassion, they are standing in the gap and being resourced to help those they can, like Sarah and her family.
These stories of hope remind us that even in the darkest times, God is at work.
Written by Daniel
(July 2024)
Ministry in North Africa