Humanitarian Relief & Economic Development

Six decades of war and the policy of ”genocide by attrition” under the Khartoum government have created a grave humanitarian crisis, and have almost destroyed the economy of South Kordofan, home to the Nuba Mountains and the Kadugli Diocese.  Under the Sharia Law imposed by President al-Bashir, non-Muslim businesses were often shut down or destroyed.  Arab elites in Khartoum exploited the natural resources in the Nuba Mountains (oil, minerals, Arabic gum) without returning any economic benefit to the people in the region. President Bashir’s fall in 2019 and the new Framework for Peace in 2020 has created an opportunity for more equitable sharing of resources and income.

In partnership with the Kadugli Diocese, Pax Dei for Nuba works with local leaders to provide grants and resources for the development of locally conceived and managed business ventures that can provide meaningful work and income over the long term.   The first of these ventures, already underway, is a cooperative sewing guild that will employ 25 people by the end of 2023.  This guild will produce school clothes for children in the Nuba mountains and reusable menstrual pads for young girls who otherwise miss several weeks of school each year.

In addition, local leaders used funds from Pax Dei for Nuba to conduct workshops  and provide equipment to help the Nuba people mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19. Similar humanitarian efforts will be pursued as the need and opportunity arises.