Anglican Aid has launched an emergency appeal for those directly harmed and displaced by the latest wave of violence to strike the country of South Sudan.

Renewed violence in the young country, formed out of Sudan in 2011 following a nationwide referendum, has led to thousands of dead and many more displaced from their home communities. Recent media reports have referred to numbers from global NGO International Crisis Group saying that over 10,000 may be dead in over 30 distinct locations of conflict around the country.

Bishop Grant LeMarquand, the area Bishop for the Horn of Africa, told Anglican Aid that, "We have had to house a few refugees on our compound as they are transitioning to new places.”

“Some of the towns where we have churches near the border have been overrun with large numbers of people fleeing the fighting in South Sudan. For example, in [a church] where I am going this coming Saturday, there are about 1,000 people living without shelter and with almost no food on the Anglican church compound. The same is true of most of the churches in the town (the clergy have organized the people into groups). There is apparently some food in the town, but little money to buy and the prices are high. I'm going to bring a load of maize with me on Saturday, as well as tarps to use for shelter from the sun - it's the beginning of dry season - no rain, but intense sun.

"We have a woman who helps clean the compound here in Gambella. Two days ago we heard that her son had been killed in Juba (he had been staying at the UN compound, but decided to go home to get a change of clothes and was killed on the street.) Stories come to us daily of family members caught in the cross fire. Several members of the staff and clergy have family in UN compounds in Bor and Juba - but no compound is truly safe."

The first $5000 of aid money is to be sent to Gambella, in order to purchase maize and tarpaulins for refugees who are staying there after fleeing across the border. Anglican Aid says it will continue to liaise with the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, the Right Rev Daniel Deng, as well as ACROSS, a TEAR partner organisation working in South Sudan, until further aid can be forwarded into South Sudan itself.

Anglican Aid CEO, the Rev David Mansfield, says a project begun with the partnership of the Anglican Church in Gambella to provide water to those who had fled Sudan during the previous decades of civil war is also feeling the pressure from the latest waves of refugees.

They are now seeking to contend with a new wave of refugees displaced by the current fighting and are struggling with all the tensions associated with tribal conflict and acute shortages of food and clean water,” Mr Mansfield said.

Donations to the South Sudan Emergency Appeal can be made online here. For further information or to make a phone donation, call 1800 653 903.

Image: The Anglican Church compound where over 1,000 Sudanese refugees are currently staying with minimal food and shelter. From Anglican Aid partners.