Blog Action Day 2013 | Human Rights for Sudanese Refugees

Blog Action Day is a one-day international event that brings thousands of bloggers together to talk about an important issue. Throughout Blog Action Day, participants help raise awareness and money for charities and social causes. This year I'm blogging on behalf of Samaritan's Purse.

The focus of Blog Action Day 2013 is on human rights. Samaritan's Purse would like to draw attention to the crisis situation in Sudan and South Sudan that has been caused by brutal human rights violations carried out by the Sudanese government and its president, Omar al-Bashir.

This is the first of three posts today to bring awareness to this situation.

Background Information
In July of 2011, after decades of civil war between the Arab-dominated northern Sudanese and the predominantly African and Christian people of the south, the Republic of South Sudan was born. The new nation of South Sudan celebrated its first independence day on July 9, 2011. Most of the people in the areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile are African but are located north of the newly recognized boundary between South Sudan and Sudan. Although they also fought for freedom and dignity, the government of Sudan, led by President Bashir, continues to wage war against the people of those areas.

More than two years later, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir continues to attack thousands of his own citizens with aerial bombings, ground raids and orchestrated starvation. Hundreds of thousands of victims have fled into refugee camps in South Sudan.

Samaritan Purse's Involvement
Samaritan’s Purse began working in Sudan in 1993. Our work in Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan began in 1998, and we conducted extensive humanitarian aid operations in those areas until the Sudanese government cut off international humanitarian access in June 2011.

In 2012, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham called for strong action by international leaders while affirming his humanitarian commitment, “The United States government and our allies need to increase the pressure and force a regime change to allow an opportunity for peace. Until then, I remain committed to meeting critical needs of those who are fleeing for their lives into South Sudan.”

In July of 2013, Samaritan’s Purse Vice President of Programs and Government Affairs Ken Isaacs testified at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in Washington, D.C. A transcript of the testimony can be found at samaritanspurse.org.

If you would like to contribute financially to the ministry of Samaritan's Purse as they assist in meeting needs in Sudan and South Sudan, you can donate here.


Photo Credit: Samaritan's Purse