The slave liberation took place on June 17th and 18th, CSI was able to free 400 slaves from Northern Sudan. After being liberated each freed slave received:
- 1 goat
- 1 survival kit, including groundnuts and a hoe
- 50 kg of sorghum (usually we distribute 2 kg/person; owing to the hunger crisis, the amount was raised to 50 kg)
Collectively, the former slaves also received two bulls. Two nurses accompanied CSI to treat any injuries.
Food distributions
Previous steps
The preparation for the hunger crisis started in November 2016, when CSI staff saw clear signs that there would be food shortages in 2017. CSI started storing extra sorghum throughout the year. This sorghum was distributed at the end of March 2017 to 665 families (each received 25 kg).
The June/July action
CSI bought almost 200,000 kg of sorghum which equaled 1978 sacks for families in South Sudan.
CSI distributed this sorghum to 3136 families in Aweil North (Lol State) and Aweil East State. Each family received 50 kg of sorghum, which should last 30-40 days. By the beginning of August, farms should be producing food. CSI noted that in contrast with 2016, the weather conditions seem more favourable to a good harvest. By this time last year, flooding was occurring in the swamp areas of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal.
The sorghum was distributed in 7 large distribution events and a number of smaller ones. During the largest distribution, CSI and the local team distributed sorghum to 1500 people from over 20 villages! In some cases, people had to walk for up to 4 hours to reach the distribution point. Owing to the rainy season, roads are often impassable meaning the truck carrying the sorghum could not reach some of the most remote villages.
