“They were on the run… searching for a place to hide, trying to think of somewhere near, running, desperate for a safe haven, carrying only what could fit in their hands, a bag or two, a child on one arm, and some clothing.”

Hedd Thomas, World Renew’s Program Manager in South Sudan describes the perilous situation that lead 160 families to seek refuge near World Renew’s program area in Yei, South Sudan this past January. Like thousands of others in the country, these families were victims of horrific persecution and ethnic killings that have been happening in the country since December.

Hedd Thomas, World Renew’s Program Manager in South Sudan describes the perilous situation that lead 160 families to seek refuge near World Renew’s program area in Yei, South Sudan this past January. Like thousands of others in the country, these families were victims of horrific persecution and ethnic killings that have been happening in the country since December.

While the fighting started in the capital city, Juba, the terror eventually spread across the country as rival groups began to seek out and kill their neighbors.

“Those who ran were mostly women and children,” said Thomas. “Most of the men were either away working or posted far away with the armed forces.”

One hundred and sixty of these women and children eventually found shelter in an old UN camp on the edge of Yei. It was deserted, but the fences and gates were still standing. Someone found a UN phone number, called them and received permission for the families to set up camp there.

“I was reminded of the Israelites, as they moved from place to place in the desert, and how they must have managed by using similar methods.”

“Even as they gathered together in the old camp, the fear did not dissipate. With so much terror, knowing they were being hunted down, wild rumors and panic were still spreading,” said Thomas, adding that most adults didn’t sleep for several days in order to stay on guard.

World Renew had used social media and announcements in churches to initiate a prayer movement in Africa and North America around this crisis urging people to pray for peace and for safety for displaced families. With families now arriving in their community, World Renew prepared to respond.

“Many of our staff at World Renew in Yei knew this situation too well. They vividly remember how they, themselves, had fled to Uganda in 1994 to escape deadly fighting. They, too, were innocent children fleeing in the night knowing that close relatives had already been killed,” said Thomas. “When ethnic strife returned to Yei in 2014, our staff were more than ready to help.”

World Renew talked with other agencies to coordinate efforts and made a plan to provide emergency assistance to those in their midst. They then conducted a quick survey to confirm numbers and identify the most urgent needs. Next it acquired food and began delivering dried beans, corn oil and salt to each family. It was enough to sustain the families for two seeks until the UN could get its food relief program started. 

As World Renew delivered food, other agencies provided plastic sheets, nails, rope and blankets so that temporary shelters and beds could be made. World Renew also provided mosquito nets, laundry soap, water purification tablets and cooking pots. Soon, the semblance of normal life returned to these families in need.

“It didn’t take long for the mothers to mix some mud, collect a few rocks, and build their traditional mud cooking stoves. A stove like this, known as a salet in the local language, is efficient because heat doesn’t escape out to the side as it does with an open fire; instead the heat is concentrated upwards to the cooking pot, as the sides of the stove insulate; far less firewood is used than cooking on an open fire,” said Thomas. “I was reminded of the Israelites, as they moved from place to place in the desert, and how they must have managed by using similar methods.”

Please join World Renew in praising God that we were able to provide some assistance to these vulnerable families. Thank Him that they have found a safe place to live and that their immediate needs for food, water and shelter have been met. Praise him also for the resiliency that enables these families to build a home in this new place despite all the horrors they have experienced.

Please also continue to join us in prayer that peace will return to South Sudan. Pray that cultural groups will learn to live together without conflict and that a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation will spread across the country.