How Sudan Relief Fund and Dr. Tom Catena are saving lives in South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains.
In some of the most difficult places to live in the world, where clean water is scarce, corruption abounds, and a formal famine has been declared, Sudan Relief Fund is bringing life-saving care and resources to those for whom survival is a daily battle. Sudan and South Sudan together represent the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis, driven by war, civil conflict, and mass displacement. Sudan Relief Fund is responding to the crises in both regions in innovative and immediate ways.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Smith, senior vice president of SRF, about the organization’s mission: to provide the people of South Sudan and the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan with the food, safe drinking water, medical attention, and hope they so desperately need.
Matt offered a vivid picture of what life is like in Sudan and shared the story of one American missionary hero, Dr. Tom Catena, who is providing medical care to those who would otherwise go without.
On the Ground in Sudan and South Sudan
Sudan Relief Fund was founded more than twenty-five years ago, back when South Sudan was still a part of Sudan. Since SRF’s founding, Sudan, and now South Sudan too, has been defined by war, political instability, and humanitarian crises. South Sudan gaining independence in 2011 has done nothing to alleviate this chaos.
In early 2023, Sudan plunged into another civil war, which has caused massive devastation across the country, driving many refugees into South Sudan and the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan. Without a stable government in place, violence continues to ravage much of the country, bringing great suffering and deprivation in its wake.
Throughout all of this, SRF has been on the ground, standing in solidarity with the suffering people.
Dr. Tom Catena and Mother of Mercy Hospital
While SRF is highly active in South Sudan, it is also dedicated to supporting Dr. Tom Catena’s work at Mother of Mercy Hospital in Sudan, where he treats hundreds of patients daily. As the only American missionary doctor who lives permanently in Sudan, Dr. Tom says that this is the worst he has ever seen Sudan—a dire statement, given the country’s history of conflict.
In 2008, Dr. Tom arrived at Mother of Mercy, located in the Nuba Mountains, an area he identified as having the greatest need for medical care in the world. The hospital, the only trauma center within a 300-mile radius, serves up to 75,000 patients annually. Dr. Tom lives in a small hut next to the hospital and is on call 24/7, fully dedicated to the people.
Over the past eighteen years, Dr. Tom has worked through times of war, political persecution, and bombing raids, and attributes his perseverance to his Catholic faith. At the hospital, which now serves three million people, he treats gunshot wounds, cancers, malaria, and other serious diseases, and delivers babies for mothers facing complicated pregnancies—often with limited supplies. Matt describes him as “a modern saint . . . I’ve never seen someone work the way he is working, so consistently every day, for as long as he has, in the conditions he is working in.”
Dr. Tom has also helped establish nineteen local clinics throughout Nuba, giving more of the population access to healthcare. The goal is to have these clinics act as spokes on a wheel, treating simpler cases at the local level, and referring the most difficult cases to the hospital. About this effort, Matt said, “He is building out a sustainable healthcare infrastructure that is unheard of in this part of Africa.”
While he treats hundreds of patients each day, Dr. Tom emphasizes that none of this would be possible without the support of donors: “Without their help, we can’t do anything.” As a Catholic hospital, Dr. Tom and his team also rely on the power of prayer and God’s protection to keep going.
Combating Malnutrition
In addition to supporting Dr. Tom’s hospital, SRF has played a vital role in treating severely malnourished patients in the Nuba Mountains, where a famine has formally been declared and the infant mortality rate is extremely high. One recent tool used to combat malnutrition is Plumpy’Nut, a high-protein, peanut-based paste that’s easy to digest. Food products like this are relatively simple, but they can quickly restore strength in malnourished children.
Local Partnerships and Impact
SRF’s work is built on strong local relationships, especially with the Catholic Church in Sudan. By cultivating close relationships with bishops and parishes, they can identify urgent needs and respond quickly, often faster than larger organizations.
One thing that stuck with me from my conversation with Matt was that, despite the immense suffering, joy still exists in South Sudan and in the Nuba Mountains. People remain hopeful—in part due to the work of SRF and missionaries such as Dr. Tom, who are helping to build the foundation for a better future in two countries long defined by suffering.