Dear AlterNet Reader,

Another potential war is looming in Sudan — a country widely known for the brutal conflict in its Darfur region.

On January 9, voters in Southern Sudan went to the polls to cast their votes to decide whether they would secede from the north. While results won’t be known for a week, the outcome may heighten tensions in a decades-old conflict between the regions.

The International Rescue Committee is preparing to help innocent families, should violence and tribal strife suddenly escalate in the aftermath of the vote. We are preparing for an influx of people crossing the border from the north and those fleeing violence within Southern Sudan itself.

We have readied emergency supplies, including clean water, food and shelter materials and are distributing them across the region.

Right now, your donation to the IRC will enable us to deliver practical support and aid to people — like those in Southern Sudan — who are struggling to survive.

The IRC has worked in Southern Sudan for more than 20 years. In addition to emergency aid, our staff there — a majority of whom are Sudanese nationals — currently provide essential services like health care and education to more than 600,000 people.

While the political tensions between the north and south are vastly complex, one thing is simple. We must do everything in our power to protect innocent lives. That is why the IRC is providing critical aid to families in Sudan and in 40 other countries and 22 U.S. cities.

With your support, we can continue this important work.

Sincerely,

All of us at the International Rescue Committee

P.S. Ninety cents of every dollar we spend is used to support IRC programs all over the world. And we are proud to have earned four stars from Charity Navigator for four straight years.