South Sudan's Olympic dreams can help war victims

One of the inspiring stories for this year's Olympics comes from South Sudan and its men's basketball team. South Sudan is one of 12 teams that has earned a chance to win an Olympic basketball medal in Paris. South Sudan's Olympic dreams can also raise awareness of the war and famine in their region of Africa.

South Sudan almost beat the United States in a pre-Olympic basketball exhibition in London. It took heroics from LeBron James, including a game winning layup, for the United States to escape with a 101-100 win.

South Sudan's team is talented and after their performance against Team USA, they have a chance to beat anybody. South Sudan has a rematch with the United States in the opening round of Olympic basketball on July 31st.

South Sudan's Olympic team can also raise awareness of the struggles of their young nation. Having declared independence in 2011, South Sudan has suffered from internal conflict and severe food shortages.

The U.S. Famine Warning System (FEWSNET) recently issued an alert stating “South Sudan remains in the topmost food insecure countries globally, with needs expected to rise to record high levels and some areas facing a risk of Famine during the upcoming rainy season.”

People are suffering severe hunger and malnutrition. Relief agencies like the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), CARE, Save the Children, UNICEF, Mary’s Meals, Catholic Relief Services and others need our support to feed war victims in South Sudan.

According to WFP “More than 7 million people are food insecure and 1.65 million children are malnourished.” That number is expected to rise with the anticipated flooding.

South Sudan is also taking in starving refugees from the civil war in neighboring Sudan. WFP warns, “The Sudan conflict continues to exacerbate the dire situation. In May, nearly 36,000 people arrived in South Sudan, bringing the total since the start of the conflict to nearly 694,000.”

WFP is struggling to get enough funding to feed these refugees. Keep in mind that with so many hunger emergencies taking place around the globe there is a huge need for funding.

One of the best ways you can help South Sudan is to be an advocate for sending food aid to the hungry. Ask your representatives in Congress to support global food aid programs so South Sudan can get the lifesaving assistance it desperately needs.

It’s a tough road to peace and stability for any country, especially a new one. Food and agriculture are the foundation for any nation to flourish. South Sudan has great farmland but needs peace to fully develop it.

South Sudan is a country with enormous potential, and their Olympic dreams reflect this. But as we can recall when the United States was a young nation, there are many challenges to overcome.

The Olympic basketball competition can raise awareness of the massive humanitarian needs of South Sudan. We can save many lives there.

William Lambers is the author of the Road to Peace and partnered with the U.N. World Food Program on the book “Ending World Hunger.“