Pray for Sudan

For thousands of years, the Sudanese have lived along the Nile, farming, fishing, and bonding over folk songs and stories of love and kinship. Yet, decades of conflict have deeply fractured their rhythm of life. Following independence from the UK in 1956 and South Sudan’s secession in 2011, a devastating civil war erupted in 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a brutal grab for power. Today, these two rival factions dominate different parts of the country. Amidst this chaos, an entire generation of Sudanese children is growing up under the terrifying thunder of airstrikes and the constant fear of armed soldiers entering their homes. Yet, even during this extreme hardship, the beautiful hospitality of the Sudanese remains; families continue to share what little they have with neighbors and strangers.

Sudan’s civil war has plunged the nation into the world’s largest displacement crisis, forcing 14 million people to flee their homes. The vast majority are women and children who escape with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They make their new home in overcrowded camps, abandoned schools, or makeshift shelters lacking clean water, food, and sanitation. For those who remain, daily life is a terrifying gamble against airstrikes, sexual violence, and brutal village raids. The country’s food supply has collapsed as stores shut down and harvest fields lie abandoned, leaving tens of millions in extreme hunger. Making matters worse, highly contagious diseases like cholera and measles spread rapidly. With many hospitals bombed and abandoned, families are left without basic medicine, while active fighting and blockades prevent lifesaving humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it most.

Sudan is a physical and spiritual battlefield. Today, the majority of Sudan’s inhabitants are Arab Sunni Muslims, and their influence over law and government is strong. Converts from Islam often face severe social pressure, discrimination, and risks from extremist groups or local communities, especially amid the current conflict. While their brothers and sisters in South Sudan live in relative freedom, believers in Sudan face strong persecution, especially those in the Nuba Mountains. There is a great need for regional and denominational unity as well as the establishment of Christian communities throughout Sudan. Pray that Sudanese believers remain faithful to Christ amid persecution and severe crisis. May they join together as a unified body of believers to bring the hope that is so desperately needed.