International Aid Sending Medicines, Food to Sudan
SPRING LAKE, MI (December 4, 2000) – A bitter civil war and famine conditions have devastated the people in Sudan, Africa. International Aid has responded to the tremendous needs of the Sudanese people by shipping such relief supplies as vitamins, medicines, food and personal care items.
During the recent fiscal year – which ended Sept. 30, 2000 — International Aid sent $1.3 million worth of supplies, and in October of 2000 alone International Aid sent two shipments to Sudan with a combined value of $3.1 million. Another shipment worth $1.5 million left last week and another container is being planned. International Aid facilitates the shipping of the life-saving supplies to Sudan and they are distributed to the needy by a partner agency.
“Sudan is a place where we especially need to be the feet, hands and face of Jesus,” says Sonny Enriquez, Disaster Relief Coordinator at International Aid. “There are so many needs there. The Sudanese have suffered for a long time due to an on-going civil war, religious persecution and famine conditions in some areas. We pray that these relief supplies will bring some hope and healing and that the bombings will stop.”
Sudan has been engaged in a civil war since 1983 between well-armed Muslim forces from the north and the largely animist and Christian populations in the south. Human rights groups have accused the northern Islamic government of widespread human rights abuses against civilians in the south, including slavery, forced conversion, starvation and more.
Reports from humanitarian and religious aid groups confirm that the north is bombing civilian targets, including hospitals. In August, 22 major relief agencies, including International Aid, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke strongly condemning the Sudanese government’s on-going bombing campaign targeting facilities or relief agencies and urged top United States officials to publicly call for an end to the attacks.
In October, President Clinton issued a rare statement about the Sudan bombings, noting that they are “egregious abuses” and that he is “deeply concerned.” Clinton stated that “the government of Sudan has bombed civilian and humanitarian locations more than 60 times during the past year.”
It is estimated that 2 million people have died in Sudan in the past 17 years from the bombings, attacks and starvation. In fiscal year 2000, International Aid provided emergency relief, missionary assistance and medical aid with an estimated value of $74 million through its global outreach. International Aid responded to disasters such as flooding in Venezuela and Mozambique and a drought in Ethiopia.
Additional International Aid programs include KIDS HOPE USA, Kids Helping Kids, Christian Eye Ministry, Medical Equipment Services, Medical Equipment Repair & Training, Hospital Management & Support Services and the Mission Resource Center for missionaries.