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Starving Children in Sudan: Complicity in a Moral Tragedy

Starving Children in Sudan: Complicity in a Moral Tragedy

Last updated on: March 3, 2025 at 11:56 am by Roger E. Olson

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Starving Children in Sudan: Complicity in a Moral Tragedy 2025-03-03T11:56:36-05:00 Roger E. Olson

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Is there a moral difference between gassing children and withholding food designated for starving children waiting in warehouses to feed them? How can Christians support a government that withholds food already earmarked and warehoused for starving children, not only in Sudan but other places? | Image courtesy of DFID – UK Department for International Development, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Is There A Moral Difference?

By all accounts, thousands upon thousands of children are starving in Sudan. Many of them were being kept alive by USAID which has now been terminated. By accounts of now-fired USAID employees, warehouses in the US and other countries are filled with food waiting to go to Sudan. It is not getting to then and probably will not because Trump canceled the only means of the food getting to the hungry—USAID.

Hitler and Himmler killed untold thousands of children in the gas chambers of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. Everyone condemns them for it, as we all should.

But I ask if there is a MORAL difference (I’m not talking about extensive difference) between gassing children and withholding food designated for starving children waiting in warehouses to feed them.

When Good People Do Nothing to Oppose Evil

Again I ask how Christians, especially, but also others, can support a government that withholds food already earmarked and warehoused for starving children, not only in Sudan but other places? What is it but complacency? When good people do nothing to oppose evil they are as guilty as those who do evil. I will rephrase that. When good people support powerful people who do evil, they are as guilty as the people who do evil.

Again I say, whatever its faults and flaws, USAID could have been reformed; it did not have to be canceled. I saw the sign “United States Agency for International Development” being taken down by workmen. I thought to myself “They might as well be putting up a swastika.” Am I overstating it? Perhaps. But it gets your attention. If you are not ready to withdraw your support of this administration now, you are being complicit in the horror of starving children in Sudan and elsewhere.

Food is Sitting in Warehouses

You say, “Well, that’s sad, but it doesn’t outweigh the good Trump is doing.” Really? What would—if not starving children? Trump knows they are starving—because of his decision to shut down USAID. What is he doing to help them? The food is sitting there in warehouses going nowhere because USAID employees are not there to make it go.

Final Thoughts

And, what about Trump’s and Vance’s berating and browbeating of a head of government visiting the White House as a guest? It reminded me of a schoolyard bully who threatens a weaker kid because he’s not grateful enough for the bully helping him. Besides, have we ever helped Ukraine out of pure altruism? Or was it to limit the aggressive power of Russia? If Ukraine falls, what next? Countries along Russia’s borders are seriously worried. Do we ever act unless America’s interests, however indirectly, are at stake? (Do not respond to this last paragraph. The main idea of this blog post is above it. Only respond to that if at all.)

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

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