(ANS - Juba)- News and updates have come from Juba, South Sudan, where the Salesians continue to monitor the situation and to collaborate with other agencies in supporting the needy population.
"I am very grateful to the Rector Major, to Fr Václav Klement and to the entire team at Don Bosco Network for their immediate response and their willingness to help” writes Fr Ferrington, Provincial Delegate for the two Sudans. “The situation here in Juba is quite calm, although there are still sporadic shootings and killings, especially acts of revenge. Two days ago there was a mass burial of about thirty people, all soldiers and officers of the army. When the soldiers withdraw, fighting easily breaks out. The population therefore continues to live in fear and people are traumatized."
Larger battles are taking place in other cities around the country. The army is taking control of all major cities and oil fields, but the peace negotiations are progressing slowly and people have lost hope. In areas where there is still fighting the number of deaths and refugees continues to grow dramatically and the most affected are always women and children.
Meanwhile, the Salesian community has formed an Emergency Response Committee (SER - Salesian Emergency Response) made up of five Salesians, two Sisters of Charity of Jesus and a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, each with a specific well-defined task. This method of operation seems to be very effective and allows the Salesian mission to cooperate adequately in major relief operations in South Sudan.
Last Wednesday, 8 January, Salesians and various other leaders of religious communities in Juba visited the second refugee camp set up by the UN, which houses about 9,000 internally displaced persons (the first, which is home to about 20,000, had already been visited the previous week). The visit was an opportunity to encourage the refugees and to witness to the Church's closeness to them.
The Salesian mission in the meantime managed to get a little help from the Emergency Response Office of the UN mission and is trying to get more relief supplies in the form of food, medicines, materials for first aid and hygiene from the International Organization for Migration. Thanks to the Salesian Mission Office in New Rochelle, the Catholic Relief Service in Juba has also established contact with the Salesians in Juba.
Some refugees previously hosted at the Salesian mission have now left because they have found refuge with relatives. Others will remain and there are also new arrivals. The religious and their staff continue to patrol the territory of the parish to bring help to the needy.
For the future, it is feared that the effects of the conflict will extend to other areas of the country, where the Salesians have three other works. Many refugees are fleeing from the regions worst-hit by the conflict, especially to Kenya. Schools are closed and fuel is scarce. Many traders are leaving the country and many young people have been called into the army and have had to leave their jobs.