Settlement is home to nearly 100,000 people

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries continue to support displaced populations inside South Sudan* as well as refugees who have fled to neighboring Uganda at the Palabek Refugee Settlement, which is home to nearly 100,000 people, most from South Sudan. Roughly 83% are women and children. Many arrived after fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs, having lost family members, homes, schools and livelihoods.

Salesians are providing education, shelter, vocational education, protection, humanitarian aid and peace-building activities. Salesians live in close contact with the refugee population and understand the needs directly. They are able to create services and programs that fit the needs of the population.

Father Ubaldino Andrade has been supporting the refugees in Palabek for years. He said, “War is a destructive experience. It destroys not only homes but also hearts. Everything is left behind; everything vanishes from one day to the next.”

Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are dedicated to providing programs and services across the country. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Fifteen years of independence and a Salesian mission supporting millions of displaced people

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

*Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.