Following heavy rainfall and flooding, Anglican International Development received an urgent call for help from Bishop Zechariah Manyok from Wanglei Diocese in Jonglei State, South Sudan, where he leads a group of faithful Christian congregations.
Across the region, flooding was widespread. Parts of the town of Bor on the White Nile were inundated. Relief agencies worked to help across affected regions. But Wanglei is a remote area in Jonglei, and during the wet season it is completely cut off by road. Unlike the major centres of population affected by flooding, Wanglei came very low down the priority list because it is a small and isolated region. Yet over 3,500 families were affected, many with young and vulnerable people who urgently needed to leave their flooded homes for higher ground.
Pastor and 32 others murdered
All this unfolded against the backdrop of continuing violence in war-torn South Sudan: at the beginning of August the cathedral in the neighbouring diocese of Athooch was attacked and at least 32 people, including the Dean, Daniel Garang Ayuen, one of the few well-educated pastors in the diocese, were killed. Gunmen stormed the compound, vandalised the church, destroyed their worship instruments and set the area ablaze along with the entire neighbouring village.
