Coronavirus Response: Ethiopia update

Tensions and unrest in ethiopia

We are in regular contact with our staff and partners in Ethiopia following unrest in the country this week. It is reported that nearly 200 people have been killed in violent clashes sparked by the killing on 29 June of popular musician Hachalu Hundessa who was from the Oromia region. Please pray for peace to be restored to this country which is facing multiple crises at this time.

Earlier this year the United Nations reported that swarms of locusts damaged half a million acres of cropland and resulted in around a million people requiring emergency food aid. In addition, the World Health Organisation has ranked Ethiopia as one of 13 high-risk African countries for coronavirus due to its direct links or a high volume of travel to China. Recently our church partners reported that Covid-19 new infections are no longer solely traceable to international travel and unchecked community transmission is feared.

Please pray:

• Pray that peace would be restored in Ethiopia and for the stability of the country.
• Pray for the protection of our staff and communities on the ground and for wisdom as they seek to continue their work.
• As our partners respond to the impact of both locust swarms and Coronavirus simultaneously, please pray that they will be able to find solutions that protect the most vulnerable.

Cover photo: Bereket Tassew the Director of The Terepeza Development Association (TDA) and Tearfund Ireland's local partner in Ethiopia, delivering Covid19 training to church leaders at Gununo, a major town in southern Ethiopia. Posters and leaflets creating awareness of Covid-19 were distributed through local churches who had difficulty in accessing information.