Omagh woman hangs up ‘sandbag stocking’ to raise awareness of Sudan crisis

A NEW festive tradition began in Omagh this week when local woman, Margaret Cummings, hung a sandbag on her mantelpiece instead of a Christmas stocking, to raise awareness of the hunger crisis in flood-hit South Sudan.

Normally deployed in flood prevention, the sandbag is being used as a reminder that extreme weather exacerbated by climate change is a powerful driver of poverty and hunger, especially in flood-prone countries such as South Sudan.

In October, South Sudan saw its worst flooding in nearly 60 years, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to abandon their homes. Unusually heavy rainfall in recent months caused the Nile to burst its banks, leaving huge swathes of rich farmland under water.

As well as destroying homes, the flooding killed livestock and destroyed crops, worsening a food crisis which has left 2.4 million people at risk of falling into famine.

Margaret is originally from Rathfriland in County Down, but has lived in Omagh for 44 years. A retired librarian, she is the Christian Aid representative at First Omagh Presbyterian Church and coordinates the church’s fundraising efforts. In recent years, First Omagh has raised £5,500 to support the work of Christian Aid while across the wider Omagh area, the amount raised to date is £86,000.

Christian Aid is working through local partners to respond to the hunger and flooding crisis in South Sudan. The charity is providing emergency life-saving support including blankets, mosquito nets, water purification tablets and cash to flood-affected families as well as cash, seeds, farming tools and fishing kits to families struggling to get enough food to eat.

Christian Aid Ireland chief executive Rosamond Bennett thanked Margaret and all the members of First Omagh Presbyterian Church for their support for the charity’s work to relieve poverty in South Sudan and around the world.

She said, “For many years, Margaret has stood in solidarity with people living in desperate situations. This year, her ‘sandbag stocking’ is helping to raise awareness of the impact that flooding is having on an already terrible hunger crisis in South Sudan.”

l To support Christian Aid’s Christmas appeal, visit caid.ie/Christmas or call 028 9064 8133 to make a telephone donation.