The East African nation of Sudan has suffered periods of unrest over much of its life as a sovereign country. The latest, a devastating 21-year-long civil conflict, has claimed at least two million lives and driven millions more far to the south, even across national boundaries, in search of safety.

LCMS World Relief has worked together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan (ELCS) to help Sudanese whose lives have been disrupted by violence. Together with powerful partners such as the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) and the Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), LCMS World Relief and Human Care has helped provide comfort and hope through a variety of projects:

• School books and supplies for students in the Nuba Mountains
• Emergency food for students in schools located in southern Sudan
• Dams to make water available for crops and livestock during dry months
• Grinding mills for Sudanese in refugee camps to grind grain for themselves and others
• Gardens, agricultural tools, and seeds for food to eat and sell to others
• Enhancements to St. Paul's Lutheran medical clinic in Sudan's capital, Khartoum (where the ELCS has been based).
• Care for Sudanese who sought refuge in the United States, through LCMS congregational initiatives such as the Safe City project in San Diego, Calif. (Shield of Faith Lutheran Church).

On December 31, 2004, the Republic of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army signed a peace accord. Many Sudanese who fled their homes will be returning, either from other parts of the country or from neighboring countries. The ELCS is preparing to offer assistance, especially in resettlement and education.