Emergency COVID in Ethiopia

Like the rest of the world, Ethiopia has been experiencing the unprecedented social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to World Health Organization confirmed cases are now 258.000 with more than 3700 deaths. The country is registering a strong increase in cases since March 2021, when occurred a rapid deterioration of the epidemiological picture that impacted on the availability of hospital seats. The Ethiopian government has therefore announced the adoption of new measures for the containment of infections. World Bank has also reported an increase in food prices, unemployment and poverty, endangering the most vulnerable part of the population.

Added to this tragic health situation there is the emerging conflict, which began six months ago when the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent federal troops into Tigray for a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the northern region’s ruling party and an armed paramilitary organization. The news that are bringing us our local referents do nothing but feed our concerns.

On April 27, the UN’s latest humanitarian update for Tigray describes “active hostilities reported in the central, eastern and northwestern parts of the region”. Thousands of people, if not tens of thousands, are estimated to have been killed in the conflict, with nearly two million displaced and some 4.5 million in need of food assistance.

The Federal Government has declared the state of emergency and it is restricting telephone and internet communications, in particular in the north of the country; for this reason, it is harder to get in touch with our local partners. However, the local staff keeps working in compliance with anti-contagion regulations, social distancing and using medical devices. Our aim is always providing extremely poor families with healthy meals and sanitary materials.
Thanks to your support we want to continue these activities always by the side of Ethiopian children and their families!