Mass displacement crisis leaves hundreds of
thousands of people in need of food and shelter
BOONE,
N.C., May 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow,
Samaritan's Purse will airlift more than 1,200 rolls of emergency
shelter material to Sudan using
its DC-8 cargo plane. The heavy-duty tarp will provide desperately
needed shelter to more than 42,000 people suffering in Sudan.
Conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a rebel militia
group over the past year has caused widespread destruction across
the country and led to millions of innocent civilians fleeing their
homes. International experts are calling this the worst mass
displacement crisis in the world. More than 600,000 people have
sought refuge in the Kordafan region and are now living in
makeshift stick shelters in overwhelmed displacement camps. The
airlift of emergency shelter material will provide families with a
dry place to sleep as rainy season approaches. Without adequate
shelter, these families will be even more vulnerable to illness and
other hardships.
The situation recently intensified as drought and locusts
devastated harvests and food supplies. People are fighting for
their lives and searching for anything to provide nutrients—
rummaging for seeds, weeds, branches, and leaves to consume.
Samaritan's Purse has been trucking convoys of food and
nutrient-dense supplements into the area since April, delivering
more than 2,600 tons of food for starving people—including mothers
and babies.
"People in Sudan are
starving, and they need help now," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse.
"We have to act quickly because the rainy season is coming. We
are airlifting shelter material and will continue to send in
convoys of food to the region for as long as the roads are
passable. Please pray for these families."
Samaritan's Purse currently has more than 6,000 tons of food en
route to the remote area in seven convoys and more trucks are being
loaded. Each food basket contains enough corn, beans, salt, and oil
to sustain a family for a month. Severely malnourished children can
also receive special nutrient-dense peanut paste. The organization
is also providing mobile medical care in internal displacement
camps.
WHEN:
|
Monday, May 6, at 8
a.m. ET
|
|
Media opportunities beginning at 7 a.m.
ET
|
|
|
WHERE:
|
Samaritan's Purse
Airlift Response Center
|
|
1 Samaritan
Lane
|
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Greensboro,
N.C.
|
|
|
ON-SITE CONTACT:
|
Gabbi Bouquet,
GBouquet@samaritan.org, (828) 406-2643
|
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
- Interview Dave Philips, deputy
director of international projects for Samaritan's Purse
- Gather b-roll and photos as the DC-8 departs Greensboro, North Carolina at 8 a.m. ET
- Broadcast quality b-roll of food distributions in Sudan:
Preview b-roll:
RF-240404_Sudan_Conflict_Response_Broll.mp4
Download b-roll:
RF-240404_Sudan_Conflict_Response_Broll.mp4
High-res photos of food distributions in Sudan: Here
ABOUT SAMARITAN'S PURSE
Based in Boone, North Carolina,
Samaritan's Purse responds to the physical and spiritual needs of
individuals in crisis situations—especially in locations where few
others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse works in more
than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease,
disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information,
visit SamaritansPurse.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/samaritans-purse-airlifts-emergency-supplies-to-sudan-302136174.html
SOURCE Samaritan's Purse