JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local Sudanese American pediatrician is asking the community he serves, to donate to children in the middle of war in his home country. For more than a month, a war has been happening in the African Nation of Sudan.
More than one million people left their homes and hundreds are being killed every week. They have no resources since hospitals and health care facilities have been looted and brought down.
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“It’s a catastrophic situation that you don’t want to hear about,” Dr. Ashraf Affan, CEO of Angel Kids Pediatrics said.
Sudan is Dr. Affan’s home country. “After 27 years that I’m here (in Jacksonville), I found out a war, just out of nowhere, erupted in my home country and that children are suffering,” Affan said.
He’s dedicated his time in Jacksonville to serving uninsured children and families, or to those who can’t afford health care services.
“The last time we did this (served food), we served over 500 individuals,” Dr. Affan said. Their distribution center serves families twice a month with food, no strings attached.
Executive Director Sarah Sayar says the foundation has a program to help children in emergency crisis, and the situation in Sudan was more than fitting for them.
“Our founder is an Amarican-Sudanese pediatrician who has given 30 years of his career to our local community and Sudan is his home country,” Sayar said. “And again we serve children.”
“I feel I contributed to the welfare, as so many other immigrants and people America give a lot to us, and all of us,” Dr. Ashraf Affan said. “Jacksonville, people here are so generous. And they would love to help in any humanitarian mission around the world, especially when it touches kids.” Dr. Affan goes on to say, “And this is why I think they will jump to help, you know, the crisis in Sudan.”
He says he wants people to consider their own children, and donate to a cause outside of their homes. In the last 3 months, Angel Kids Pediatrics served almost two thousand people with more than 20 pounds of food. If they can keep serving the number of people they do here, organizers say they know they can gather enough donations to support the children in Sudan.
If you want to help, go to the Angel Kids Foundation website or e-mail chert@myangelkids.com