A Christmas gift for suffering South Sudan

The world's newest nation is in big trouble.

After more than 20 years of civil war between the southern and northern areas of Sudan, the southern part of that country became the independent nation of the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011.

But the situation on the ground soon looked like South Sudan had not been born, but instead was still suffering intense labor pains.

The many years of war brought not only much death, but also drained South Sudan of valuable resources, leaving it an extremely poor nation.

According to South Sudan's National Bureau of Statistics, 51 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, 73 percent is illiterate, and 45 percent does not have access to improved sources of drinking water.

But if conditions weren't bad enough, last year -- 10 days before Christmas -- civil war broke out in South Sudan amid a struggle for power between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and former vice president Riek Machar, whom Kiir dismissed months earlier.

According to the International Crisis Group, the civil war had claimed over 10,000 lives by April, and more than 1 million have been displaced. And it warns that the current humanitarian crisis threatens many more.

The Sudd Institute reports that 4 million people are facing a serious risk of famine and starvation, and approximately 100,000 people are already experiencing desperate, humiliating circumstances in U.N. camps.

UNICEF warns that without greatly increased emergency international assistance, over 50,000 children under the age of 5 will soon die of malnutrition.

But long-term development aid is also indispensable.

John Ashworth, who serves as an adviser to the Catholic bishops of South Sudan, told me in an email that many international donors are reducing their development aid to South Sudan because of a lack of progress in the peace talks among the warring parties.

Ashworth said the conflict does not directly affect seven of the 10 states in South Sudan, and it is both unfair and counterproductive to deny development aid to those people.

The heroic Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban often says that development is peace, and there is a fear that reducing development aid will create the conditions for insecurity to spread.

A U.S. State Department official who wished to remain anonymous told me how important it is for us to contact our congressional delegation, urging them to increase funding for both emergency and development assistance. That would support critical programs aimed at justice and reconciliation, education, infrastructure, and food security.

"I would highly recommend making a donation to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which is very active in South Sudan," Ashworth wrote. "I work closely with them."

To send a Christmas donation to suffering South Sudan, give to CRS's South Sudan Emergency fund or call 877-435-7277.

During this Advent season, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our savior, Christ the Lord, let us also remember the birth and infancy of the world's youngest nation.

As the wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus, let us bring Christmas gifts of prayer, money and advocacy to suffering South Sudan.

And let's not forget that by giving gifts to the South Sudanese, we are ultimately giving Christmas gifts to Jesus, who said, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

[Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings about Catholic social teaching. His keynote address, "Advancing the Kingdom of God in the 21st Century," has been well received by diocesan gatherings from Salt Lake City to Baltimore. Tony can be reached at tmag@zoominternet.net.]

Editor's note: We can send you an email alert every time Tony Magliano's column, "Making a Difference," is posted. Go to this page and follow directions: Email alert sign-up.