As humanitarian crises mount, Sudan and South Sudan church leaders urge sustained global attention

At the 1,000-day critical mark, Sudan’s war has pushed the country to a breaking point, according to agencies, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In more than three and a half years of war, the consequence has been the death of an estimated 150,000 people, either after being caught in crossfire or because of disease or hunger.

The war, whose central issue is a power struggle between two generals and their armies, has displaced more than 13 million, according to the United Nations.

Caught in the brutal war is a minority church, which is offering some humanitarian response alongside its partners and agencies, while amplifying the call for peace.

Anglican Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo of Sudan, on Christmas Eve, re-stressed an earlier Episcopal bishops ’appeal to the parties to the conflict to silence the guns and give peace a chance.

“On the third and a half years—32 months—Sudan continues to bleed,” said Kondo in the December statement, which expressed the people’s difficulties in celebrating Christmas.

“Humanly speaking, it is very difficult to say happy Christmas to someone who has been under fire for 32 months and when families have lost their loved ones, and who were forced to leave their homes to live as refugees and internally displaced.”

In October, the Anglican Church’s bishops cautioned that the war would not bring peace or development to the country. While condemning the countries fueling the war in Sudan, the bishop urged the militaries to

open safe humanitarian corridors to facilitate the delivery of essential aid, including medicines and food.

“…We express our deep grief and condemnation of the mass killing of civilians in all Sudan, including women and children, and all other atrocities committed by all sides across Sudan,” reiterated Kondo.“ We implore the international and regional community to pay attention to the war in Sudan…”

Nearly 34 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, making Sudan the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, according to Christian Aid. More than 11 million children face crisis or worse levels of hunger. At least 770,000 are at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition.

The charity is among 13 others in the UK that have united to put a spotlight on the Sudan crisis under the coalition #KeepEyesOnSudan, which includes CAFOD, Tearfund, World Vision, and the International Rescue Committee, among others.

“It is inexcusable that catastrophic levels of hunger are persisting because humanitarian organizations are being prevented from reaching the communities most in need. In some of the worst-affected areas, aid is completely blocked,” says the coalition’s petition, which seeks signatures to push the UK government to act on the Sudan crisis.

In the neighbouring South Sudan, Rev. Tut Kony Nyang Kon, general secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches, said the humanitarian situation in the country remained critical, requiring sustained and coordinated response from international organizations, donors, and the government.

South Sudanese people are facing an endless cycle of violence, with displacement, economic instability, climate-induced disasters, and an influx of refugees fleeing the Sudan conflict, escalating the burden.

By the end of 2025, 10 million people needed humanitarian assistance, representing two-thirds of the country’s population. According to UN projections, over 7.5 million people will face crisis-level hunger between June and July 2026.

“The church in South Sudan can play a significant role in mitigating humanitarian challenges due to its widespread presence, moral authority, and trust within communities,” said Kon.

According to Kon, by leveraging its moral authority, extensive networks, and community trust, the church can be a powerful agent of hope and transformation in South Sudan’s crisis.

WCC member churches in Sudan 

WCC member churches in South Sudan

Source: https://www.oikoumene.org/news/as-humanitarian-crises-mount-sudan-and-south-sudan-church-leaders-urge-sustained-global-attention