MAF International CEO Donovan Palmer explains why we are responding to the heart-breaking refugee crisis driven by the conflict in Sudan.
Nearly two years ago, leaders from the entire MAF International family gathered to make a bold, and unanimous decision. We came together as a collection of MAF groups to create something new – an integrated MAF International that unites our operational programmes and national fundraising groups like never before.
We are in a once-in-a-generation moment that has been signposted for us in many ways. I believe it creates a new space for us to believe in new beginnings.
Looking out over the MAF International landscape and reflecting on what God has been doing, I think of Mordecai’s words to Esther in chapter 4, verse 14, that perhaps it is ‘for such a time as this.’
While we have been working at a bold and unprecedented pace towards our vision for integration, a desperate situation of historic proportions is unfolding in what some are calling the Sudan Crisis Arc. There are 12 million people, of whom more than half are children, who have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in Sudan. With aid cuts, the situation shows little sign of easing. Every dimension of society is under profound and unthinkable stress.
This crisis is unfolding in the heartland of what many regard as one of MAF’s birthplaces. Last year, we marked the 80th anniversary of MAF and we looked back on those early exploratory flights involving pioneers like Stuart King and Jack Hemmings, which initiated our work in East Africa. This season is not just about what we should do, but about who we are.
Reforms we have made in MAF International enable us to develop regional and harmonised interventions, mobilise resources and expertise worldwide, and speak with a unified voice. A simple way to explain this is that we are globally united and locally powered. By ‘locally powered’ we mean not only MAF’s operations but also strengthening the participation of the local community leaders we serve with.
When Scripture tells us that Jesus looked out over the crowds and had compassion for them, it says He saw they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He responded with love. As we look out over the Sudan Crisis Arc, we must do the same. Before we analyse, before we mobilise, we must allow our hearts to be broken, just as God’s heart is broken. These are not statistics. They are mothers, fathers, and children.
With the love of God in our hearts, the vision for our Sudan response brings together our teams across East Africa - Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, and our Resource Hub in Kenya - in a grassroots, multi-disciplinary response. Together, we will establish new remote bases, expand our capabilities across the region, and when the time is right, be ready to bring MAF’s presence into Sudan itself.
The Sudan Response Collective is symbolic and a tangible representation of the new phase for MAF International that enhances our ability to respond.
This is not the only place where new beginnings are stirring. You will also be able to read more about the work MAF International is doing in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
It takes more than just one single part of MAF International to create any of this, and I find this very exciting.
Yet, with our excitement and anticipation for new beginnings, we must face the future with open eyes. We will need to rely on God to miraculously provide for us and we recognise that we have a lot of work to do to realise our globally united and locally powered vision.
Perhaps... for such a time as this we have been unified, for such a time as this we have been positioned to bring life to more and more cut-off communities. Let us humbly follow Jesus in these new beginnings.
STORY / DONOVAN PALMER PHOTOS / BOB DITTY
This story was originally published in "Flying for Life - Winter 2026." To view the full issue, click here.