BOONE, NC — Tomorrow, Samaritan’s Purse will airlift more than 1,200 rolls of emergency shelter material to Sudan using its DC-8 cargo plane. The heavy-duty tarp will provide desperately needed shelter to more than 42,000 people suffering in Sudan.

Conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a rebel militia group over the past year has caused widespread destruction across the country and led to millions of innocent civilians fleeing their homes. International experts are calling this the worst mass displacement crisis in the world. More than 600,000 people have sought refuge in the Kordafan region and are now living in makeshift stick shelters in overwhelmed displacement camps. The airlift of emergency shelter material will provide families with a dry place to sleep as rainy season approaches. Without adequate shelter, these families will be even more vulnerable to illness and other hardships.

The situation recently intensified as drought and locusts devastated harvests and food supplies. People are fighting for their lives and searching for anything to provide nutrients— rummaging for seeds, weeds, branches, and leaves to consume. Samaritan’s Purse has been trucking convoys of food and nutrient-dense supplements into the area since April, delivering more than 2,600 tons of food for starving people—including mothers and babies.

“People in Sudan are starving, and they need help now,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “We have to act quickly because the rainy season is coming. We are airlifting shelter material and will continue to send in convoys of food to the region for as long as the roads are passable. Please pray for these families.”

Samaritan’s Purse currently has more than 6,000 tons of food en route to the remote area in seven convoys and more trucks are being loaded. Each food basket contains enough corn, beans, salt, and oil to sustain a family for a month. Severely malnourished children can also receive special nutrient-dense peanut paste. The organization is also providing mobile medical care in internal displacement camps.

When:

Monday, May 6, at 8 a.m. ET

Media opportunities beginning at 7 a.m. ET

Where:

Samaritan’s Purse Airlift Response Center

1 Samaritan Lane, Greensboro, N.C.

About Samaritan’s Purse

Based in Boone, North Carolina, Samaritan’s Purse responds to physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations—especially in locations where few others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.

Media Opportunities

• Interview Dave Philips, deputy director of international projects for Samaritan’s Purse
• Gather b-roll and photos as the DC-8 departs Greensboro, North Carolina at 8 a.m. ET
• Broadcast quality b-roll of food distributions in Sudan.
• High-res photos of of food distributions in Sudan.

On-Site Contact: Kaitlyn Josten, KJosten@samaritan.org; (828) 406-0365

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