Our teams are working through local churches and other partners to distribute food and other critical relief to desperate populations seeking refuge in Ethiopia’s northernmost region.
Samaritan’s Purse is rushing relief to thousands of people in Ethiopia, many of whom are children at risk for acute malnutrition, after months of internal conflict depleted local resources.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have left rural areas for urban centers in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Tigray, the country’s northernmost region, have fled rural areas to seek safety in urban centers. An estimated 4 million people are in need of food and other assistance.
A fourth Samaritan’s Purse emergency airlift departed March 15, carrying 35 tons of food and shelter material.
Since the beginning of our response in early February, we have provided 30-day supplies of emergency ready-to-use supplemental food to more than 13,000 children. We will soon distribute food to thousands more. And we’re working through local churches and other groups to identify additional needs and distribute relief.
We are prepared to distribute supplemental nutrition to more than 44,000 people in Tigray. Distributions will also include more than 5,000 solar lanterns. We’ve also given out 1,550 food baskets, 1,000 cooking kits and hygiene kits, thousands of blankets, water containers, and water purification tablets.
As part of our response, we are also beginning to perform health screenings of family and children.
“The extreme need has just compounded the extreme need that already existed within this area,” said Paul Carr, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member on the ground in Tigray. “We’re grateful to be here to support people practically but also spiritually to show them the love and hope of Jesus during this time.”
Our response to the region also includes medical care through small mobile medical teams who can perform health screenings, provide basic treatments, and distribute medications to those in need.
In addition, we will begin constructing temporary shelters to provide cover and protection for many families who have been living in schools and other makeshift homes in their host communities.
Nick Bechert, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member, urged people to pray. “We’re praying that God will come in and continue to work in huge ways in Tigray.”
Please pray for the many families and communities that are suffering and for our teams and partners as we continue to help in Jesus’ Name.
