Funds for South Sudan Relief Limited, But Effective

SOUTH SUDAN (April 6, 2010) – In a region where abject poverty is the norm and worsened by an ongoing drought, the Covenant Church of Sudan and Ethiopia (ECCS) is feeding some of the most marginalized people.

Using funds supplied by Covenant World Relief (CWR), the ECCS has been feeding roughly 350 people, including orphans, widows, HIV/AIDS victims, the elderly, disabled individuals, and malnourished children. The accompanying photo shows one of the food distribution points.

“The government of southern Sudan, in the local districts where the food rations were delivered, has praised the tremendous effort done by CWR and ECCS for supporting the poorest of the poor in their societies,” writes the church’s president, Abraham Tuach Kier, in a recent letter.

CWR Director Dave Husby says $13,500 donated by Covenanters to a special relief fund has been sent so far, but more funds are needed to purchase and distribute additional food. People wanting to donate can send checks marked for “Sudan Drought Relief” to Covenant World Relief, 5101 N. Francisco Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625. Donors also can give online through this special Covenant Bookstore link.

The relief project has been designed, administrated and implemented by ECCS, a mark of the denomination’s growth, says Husby.

In addition to the drought, violence also has contributed to food insecurity. The country still is suffering the after-effects of a civil war that raged from 1984 to 2005.