South Sudan Emergency Appeal for 600 Refugees

At HHA, we aim to work for the most vulnerable people in the world. It's one thing saying it, but with so much suffering all around the world do we actually do it?

From what we've seen the families and individuals benefiting from this project surely must be some of the most vulnerable. Already in poverty, they have been driven from their homes with unspeakable violence, family members murdered and now living in make-shift camps in a region hit by severe famine. And when you think that some of these have severe disability and illness as well, the need for intervention is clear.

So this project was partly about providing emergency food rations, of which there have now been 2 successful deliveries into South Sudan, but perhaps more importantly providing these people with the means to grow their own food and take some control back over their lives.

Thanks to your support, this week we received news and pictures from our South Sudan partners saying communities were ‘rejoicing’ at the harvest they now have! Our CEO, Carwyn Hill, was delighted receiving these pictures, having witnessed first hand many of the families earlier this year, having just planted their seeds. Carwyn said, ‘HHA's mission is provide life-saving health and disability care to the world's most vulnerable. On my visit to these IDP camps, I genuinely felt that we were literally supporting some of the most vulnerable with this project, assisting over 100 people with physical and mental disabilities, those with leprosy, HIV, TB or other illnesses and their additional 500+ family members. To see a blind man and his friend tend to their new field using tools HHA provided was incredibly special. Or, to watch a woman who has previously faced incredible domestic violence, smile as she was empowered to take back control of her life. Or, a woman with leprosy facing so many challenges given some hope and joy by the crops she’s successfully grown thanks to you.’ It really is a time of ‘rejoicing’.

However, whilst many of the families we’ve assisted have been celebrating, sadly there have been some struggles. Torrential rain sadly washed some crops away and some insects also attached some crops. We are determined to ensure these families receive on-going emergency food aid to cover these challenges, but also equip them with the seeds necessary to have another harvest. Thanks to a new grant awarded by GlobalGiving but funded by supporters like you, we will be increasing the numbers benefiting from this nutritional support. We are so grateful for this additional support. The need is still huge but we are making a difference and the more money we can find, the more people we can help.

Many thanks for your support.

Although it's not receiving much news coverage, the growing refugee crisis in South Sudan is one of the biggest the world has seen. The country is now gripped by civil war with soldiers on both sides allegedly committing atrocities across the country. The fighting and huge famine hitting the whole region has caused millions to flee to neighbouring countries like Uganda. 

HHA is setting up to work in this region; our first work outside Haiti. One of the projects is to provide aid to a group of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have remained within South Sudan in a rebel held region near the Ugandan border. Outside of the UN run camps, they have little access to food and are in desperate need of aid.

Our CEO, Carwyn Hill, has recently arrived in the area and will be joined by his family shortly for a 2 month stay to implement our projects in the region. Already there has been progress in helping these IDPs and here is an extract from Carwyn's latest blog describing what has happened so far:

"...we were touched afresh as we recieved reports from a community of displaced people still living in South Sudan that HHA is supporting. This last week, HHA has enabled three days of nutritional distribution to the region. One of the pastors leading the distribution said he had to hold back tears, literally witnessing one orphan pick through the dirt for scrapes of food in the mud because she'd not eaten for a week.

 I am so grateful to all those who have enabled HHA to respond to this crisis, particularly BMS World Mission, as we provide urgently needed food supplies for such individuals. In the next few months we’ll be doing further distributions to this area and providing agriculture tools for 100 families so individuals can meet their nutritional needs more sustainably without international aid."

We are encouraged to be making a real difference to these people's lives and we thank you for your support in making this happen. There will be lots more to update you on as the weeks ahead go by so check our news articles for the most up-to-date information.

Links:

• HHA news