She lost everything, including her seven-year-old son
See how Tearfund’s food aid is providing not just nourishment, but a lifeline of hope to Sudanese refugees fleeing violence
“They keep telling me that ‘you have to wait.’ But we have been waiting on this issue. It is hopeless.”
Susan Abdelgadir Eltahir wonders if the world has forgotten about the Sudanese refugees. After fleeing the civil war in Khartoum, Sudan, to the dry, unstable land of South Sudan, she doesn’t know if her family will ever have a place to call home again.
War has erupted in Sudan, sending millions out of the country seeking safety, security, and hope. Susan fled to South Sudan with her young children, husband, and brother, seeking refuge. Tragically, during their escape, her eldest son, 7 years old, fell out of the car, causing a devastating injury. Suffering from Hemophilia A, the family desperately sought help and medication to stop his bleeding. But it was inaccessible in a foreign country where they had nothing. Susan’s family did everything they could, but without the right treatment, her son passed away.
Now, Susan’s youngest is suffering from illness too. But without any income, any medication is out of reach. “We can’t even do anything,” Susan laments, “and it is very hard for me because I don’t have that money. And my husband has no money.” Even if they could get the money, hospitals are turning them away: “They tell me that ‘you have to wait.’ But we have been waiting on this issue. It is hopeless.”
It’s not only Susan’s family that is suffering due to a lack of amenities. Without food, education, or access to hospitals, countless refugees are destitute. She continues, “Since I came here, many people are very ill with chronic disease and they are suffering.” This exigent need cannot be ignored. These refugees need help, and they need hope.
In the midst of this brokenness, we know that Jesus is always moving. Other refugees at this camp noted that Tearfund has given three times as much food assistance as other organizations, allowing the refugees to focus their energy on things besides finding food. When the refugees see a Tearfund logo, they are given hope. Where God has once provided, they are confident he will provide again.
With your help, we can continue to give food, hope, and love like Christ’s to these refugees. Your generosity provides more than just food; it provides hope; hope that there are people who care and that there is a brighter future ahead. We hope and we pray that other agencies will fulfill the critical health and education needs, and we do as much as we can to provide emergency food relief to the in the name of Jesus. Please join us in praying for the Sudanese refugees fleeing violence, and we ask for generous hearts so we may continue to provide for these people’s deepest needs.
