The Plight of the Sudanese Refugees
August 23, 2007
Most everyone knows about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. The Sudanese military and a militia group called the "Janjaweed" are committing modern-day genocide against Muslims in the Darfur region of Sudan. The United Nations estimates 450,000 have died in the conflict and nearly 2.5 million people have become refugees.
In addition, for years a bitter civil war has marred Sudan. The war pits the mostly Muslim north against the predominately Christian and animist south. Because of the war, thousands of Christians fled Sudan into Egypt to escape persecution, slavery and death.
Within the past two years, hundreds of refugees, both from Darfur and southern Sudan, have fled across the Egyptian border into Israel. They tell horrific stories of how they were treated in both countries. Many of them fear for their lives if they are sent back to Egypt or Sudan.
The plight of these refugees poses a dilemma for Israel. While it cannot ignore those fleeing a modern day holocaust, it simply cannot absorb tens of thousands of refugees.
Throughout Israel, a number of Christian organizations and congregations have stepped in to help. We've interviewed several people intimately involved in this issue. We hope to post their interviews in Jerusalem Dateline to give you a better understanding of this critical issue to the Christian church worldwide.
One of them is Charmaine Hedding from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).
Here's some excerpts from her interview.
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