Members of the Salesians of Don Bosco have been ministering at the refugee settlement in Palabek for three years.
"They are taking steps to be close to the people, especially those affected by violence, by way of reaching out to them with food and a few other necessities," said the priest.
At the Palabek Refugee Settlement, the Salesians report, the Acholi are the largest community at 45 percent, followed by the Lutuku at 15 percent and the Lango at 10 percent. Other tribes such as the Nuer make up 3 percent or less.
The Salesians help provide psycho-social support and pastoral care for thousands of Christians. Their four nursery schools educate over 1,000 children, more than 700 children are enrolled in Salesian primary and secondary schools, and other initiatives help support 700 families.
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At their vocational training center, 400 refugees and 50 host community Ugandans are students seeking work skills, the Salesians' news service Mission Newswire reports.
South Sudan's five-year civil war began shortly after South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
Different parties to the conflict deliberately prevented humanitarian aid from reaching civilians. The policy of deliberate starvation along ethnic and humanitarian lines caused acute food security problems for 55% of the population.
The war killed hundreds of thousands of people and left 2.1 million people internally displaced, with another 2.5 million as refugees abroad, according to the United Nations.
People in South Sudan continue to face serious humanitarian concerns, exacerbated by government corruption, locust swarms, and floods in October that destroyed crops and livestock.
Arasu blamed the protracted violence in South Sudan on tribal politics and "deep rooted tribal hatred".
He attributed this tribal hatred to several factors. The British colonists sowed disunity among the various communities in South Sudan and favored some tribes over others, a situation that continues to manifest itself in incidences of violence to date.
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"This instilled prejudice, jealousy, suspicion and hatred on tribes with larger populations," Fr. Arasu said.
Under Arab rule, he said, the Sudanese indigenous tribes and people were suppressed on racial and religious grounds.
There has been systematic looting of native wealth and other human rights abuses, perpetrated both by foreigners and by native rulers.
In addition, the priest sees natural tension between different communities based on their different ways of life, such as conflict between pastoral tribes who herd livestock and agrarian tribes focused on agriculture.
Suspicion and mistrust mingled with prejudice can cause irritation and annoyance that can trigger war, causing enormous damage even lasting for years, said Arasu. The danger is "any small incidents such as a little misunderstanding at water-points, playgrounds and markets can be blown into full-fledged war."
"Having witnessed the bloody past, it is difficult to believe the coming of peace. Down through the decades, numerous peace agreements have been signed and discarded thoughtlessly," he said.