The past few years in The Republic of Sudan have been tense. Since President Omar al-Bashir was deposed in 2019, there have been several “transitional” governments and plenty of people vying for power.

The latest fighting stems from a conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (formerly known as the Janjaweed during the Darfur crisis of twenty years ago). The army and the RSF were both supposed to cede power to make way for a civilian government, but they were unable to agree on issues of the integration of the RSF into the army and civilian oversight.

In April, fighting broke out with each side blaming the other for instigating the violence. There are lots of websites where you can read more of the background to the current fighting.

Unfortunately, unrest and violence like this affects many people who may not be directly involved. The countries surrounding Sudan are taking in refugees. Many of the communities around the conflict don’t have extra resources but are sharing what little they have. Pray for those who are fleeing the conflict and those taking them in. Pray that the needed resources (food, water, medical care, etc.) will be available.

In the past couple of years, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) has not been able to raise enough funds to meet the needs of the refugees in Uganda. More conflicts and more refugees mean the money and resources they do have need to be spread even more thinly. The refugees in Uganda have already been told to expect more cuts to their rations and to the services they receive from the UNHCR. Pray for humanitarian workers who are trying to meet overwhelming needs with fewer resources. And pray that the UNHCR will find the money needed to meet the needs of the growing number of people who depend on them.

Since 2017, Cal Bombay Ministries has worked exclusively in Uganda. The part of South Sudan (a different country than Sudan) where we had the farms is still too unstable to return. We don’t have any personnel affected by the fighting in Sudan. Pray for God to provide the funds needed to help more refugees plant gardens. The UNHCR’s funding crisis means that organizations like this one and donors like you are needed more than ever to meet the needs of the refugees.

Pray for peace in the region. The Sudanese and South Sudanese people just want to live their lives in peace and safety. They are the ones who are paying a heavy price for these conflicts.