Sudan and South Sudan church leaders urge sustained global attention
5 views
Skip to first unread message
John Ashworth
Jan 14, 2026, 11:26:03 PMJan 14
to Group
As humanitarian crises mount, Sudan and South Sudan church leaders
urge sustained global attention
Church leaders in Sudan and South Sudan are amplifying the need for
sustained global attention, as massive humanitarian crises grip the
two historically linked nations.
World Council of Churches
14 January 2026
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.
https://www.oikoumene.org/news/as-humanitarian-crises-mount-sudan-and-south-sudan-church-leaders-urge-sustained-global-attention
END
______________________
John Ashworth
ashwor...@gmail.com
+254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile, WhatsApp and Signal)
PO Box 403 - 00206, Kiserian, Kenya
urge sustained global attention
Church leaders in Sudan and South Sudan are amplifying the need for
sustained global attention, as massive humanitarian crises grip the
two historically linked nations.
World Council of Churches
14 January 2026
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.
https://www.oikoumene.org/news/as-humanitarian-crises-mount-sudan-and-south-sudan-church-leaders-urge-sustained-global-attention
END
______________________
John Ashworth
ashwor...@gmail.com
+254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile, WhatsApp and Signal)
PO Box 403 - 00206, Kiserian, Kenya
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages