Civil war broke out in the Republic of South Sudan in 2013 and raged on until 2020. The unrest caused widespread destruction and left an estimated 2 million people internally displaced as they fled their homes in search of safety; another 2.3 million people sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Although the civil war ended in 2020, the country continues to struggle with incidence of inter-ethnic violence, armed conflicts, and high levels of violent crime.

In 2020, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions added stress to the unstable South Sudanese economy and resulted in an increased number of families struggling to meet their basic food needs. Alongside conflict and COVID-19, the country has also been plagued with periods of drought and flooding that have caused harvests to fail, slowed the country’s development efforts, and pushed more and more people into food crisis. According to the World Food Programme, hunger and malnutrition levels are at historic high levels in South Sudan, with 8.3 million people–75 percent of the population–facing severe food insecurity.

With funding from Global Affairs Canada through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Renew and local partner ZOA, distributed food kits containing 5 bags of maize flour (25 kilograms each), 12 kilograms of beans, 7 litres of cooking oil, and 2 kilograms of salt to address the immediate food needs of 1,500 households in Gumuruk and Likuangole payams. Rebecca Nyamakori and Kothokod Jowang both live in Gumurum and have benefitted from this program.

Rebecca, 47, and her husband have five children and lived in a comfortable home near the church where Rebecca’s husband served as a preacher. During the rainy season, they practised small-scale farming and during the dry season they grew crops along the banks of a nearby river. The family also collected wild fruit, like tamarind, for home consumption. And, sometimes, Rebecca’s husband added to the family’s meals with fish he caught in the river.

Kothokod, 37, like Rebecca, has five children. And like Rebecca’s family, Kothokod’s family lost their home to cattle raiders. The raiders also stole the family’s small herd of cattle–their source of income. Kothokod and her husband now rely on family members, non-governmental organisations, and fishing and gathering wild fruit as their main source for food. Kothokod does small-scale farming to help improve her family’s food security and sells some of her farm produce to earn income, but she does not earn enough to meet their basic needs.

Both Rebecca and Kothokod’s families were able to rebuild houses to keep their children safe from the elements, but both families faced growing food insecurity. Both women had to endure more days of watching their children suffer the pains of hunger. They see the food kits they received through World Renew as a blessing; knowing their children are no longer going to sleep hungry gives them hope for the future. Rebecca says, “The days we used to suffer because of food are now over. We have quality food to eat and in large quantities that can last for long. Please thank the donors for this kind project. I pray for the long life of all people involved in making sure my family gets the food.” And Kothokod says, “I would like to thank [the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, ZOA, and World Renew] for this kind support. I pray for the well-being of the people who made this happen. Without this support my family would die of hunger. God bless you.” And, Rebecca and Kothokod’s words of gratitude have been echoed by so many of the other families who have received the food kits.

Your gift to World Renew’s global food crisis response can help us reach more communities around the world that have been pushed into food crisis by the impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict.

Thank you for sharing hope through the gift of food!