Hope for Sudan
Sudanese Outreach
Sudanese in Omaha
Omaha Sudanese Events
Get Involved with the Sudanese
Larry and Linda Heuertz

   
     
 

2008 UPDATE:

Peace treaty has been signed to stop hostilities in Southern Sudan Refugees continue to leave Sudan for a better life but many must wait and live many years in refugee camps in Kakuma, Egypt and Ethiopia.

Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It is roughly ¼ the size of the United States. Its northern border is Egypt’s southern border.

Their population is around 37,000,000. The northern 2/3 of the country is predominantly Arabic and Muslim. The southern 1/3 is predominantly Black and either Christian or animistic (traditional) religions. In 1983, Sudan declared itself to be an Islamic government, ruled by the Koran.

There has been civil war in Sudan since.There have been over 2,000,000 black Sudanese Christians killed in this war.

Today there are over 200,000 black Sudanese held in slavery.

Daily there are hospital, churches and schools being bombed by the government’s forces from the north. Many people say the war is an ethnic war, the Arabs against the black. Many will say it is an economic war because they have discovered oil in the Nile River Valley in Southern Sudan.

In actuality, it is a religious war. The Muslims are trying to annihilate the Christians. There are estimates that over 100,000 Southern Sudanese will die this year from starvation.

   
There are over 30,000 refugees from war torn Sudan living in the United States. Omaha is home to the largest community of Sudanese refugees in this country.

 

The population has grown from under 1,200 in 1998 to over 9,000 today. Reasons for many Sudanese settling here in Omaha include a low cost of living, low unemployment (which indicates more job opportunities) and an overall acceptance by the Omaha community. Omaha is home to over 50 of the Lost Boys of Sudan (children who lost their parents in the war and wandered and survived together). There are currently 10 different Sudanese tribes living in Omaha, including Nuer, Dinka, Equatorian, Maubans, and Nubians. Many Sudanese will arrive in other parts of America but will end up in Omaha due to the Omaha’s reputation of favorable opportunities for the Sudanese.