South Sudan gained independence in 2011, making it the youngest country on earth … but two short years later, the country descended into chaos.
In 2013, the power struggle between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar reached a breaking point. This led to an outbreak of violence between two of the largest ethnic groups in South Sudan.
Soon, the country was engaged in an all-out civil war. As fighting swept through the nation like wildfire, people began to flee by the thousands.
Today, over 2.3 million South Sudanese are internally displaced. More than 2.4 people are living in neighboring countries — creating the largest refugee crisis in Africa.
Of the 2.4 million South Sudanese who fled because of the war, over 65% of them are children like Susan.
You can help introduce people to God’s love by meeting their physical needs
Susan has gone through unimaginable heartbreak in her young life. In 2009, her mother died from a venomous snake bite. Four years later, rebels murdered her father when the civil war began.
With no other family to care for them, Susan and her older sister were left completely alone. As the fighting continued to escalate, they knew they needed to leave to have any hope of survival. Like many other refugees, they made the journey to Uganda.
To enter Uganda, South Sudanese must cross a crowded bridge over the river that acts as a natural border. Upon arrival, they must register as refugees at a collection point. From there, they can head to a reception center to be sorted into a refugee camp.
When Susan and her sister arrived in Uganda, they went to a refugee camp. Thankfully, our partner found the girls and enrolled them in our child sponsorship program … but not every child is so lucky.
More than 240 million children around the globe had their education interrupted because of war
Children separated from their parents during wars are often the targets of exploitation.
Thousands of South Sudanese children became soldiers before the civil war ended in 2020. Many boys and girls were forced to become cleaners, cooks, fighters, or sex slaves.
And while the actual number of child soldiers in South Sudan remains a mystery, 28 percent of known victims were under the age of 15. Young girls from South Sudan are also at a greater risk of child marriage — 52 percent of girls get married before they turn 18.
Truthfully, the situation of boys and girls living in war zones is bleak. Even now, four years after the end of the war, children in and from South Sudan are struggling to survive just like Susan did.
Conflict in Sudan and the end of food assistance in Ethiopia have sent many South Sudanese back home … and while many are glad to return, they face a new set of problems.
Your gifts will help children affected by war in South Sudan and other high-conflict areas worldwide
With back-to-back droughts and floods, over 7 million people are experiencing food insecurity. Experts claim that South Sudan is the sixth hungriest country in the world. Malnutrition and disease also run rampant, with little medical care available.
Without the help of someone like YOU, refugee and displaced children from South Sudan and other high-conflict countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria won’t get the lifesaving supplies that they desperately need. Will you step in before it’s too late?
For just $35, you can provide a week’s worth of emergency food, clean water, and other critical aid for one displaced or refugee child from a war-torn country.
Please give your best gift now to help transform a child’s life.