There is currently a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia. Almost 40,000 people from Ethiopia are fleeing to refugee camps across the border in Sudan. The cause is mainly political between local and federal government forces and local people are getting caught in-between and needing to flee.
Jason Polk wrote the following, "Things are currently calm in Addis (Jason lives in the capital, which is in central Ethiopia), but a lot of arms have been seized in the city and there were two grenade blasts in recent days. Support for national efforts seems strong, but often there are larger divisions below the surface. Scrutiny on communications is increasing and care is needed. We continue to pray for a just and peaceful resolution soon."
Another friend of Redeemer who lives in Ethiopia wrote, "My prayer is that those who are wanted for planning and perpetrating the recent attack against the Northern Command would hand themselves over for the sake of the peace of our country."
As a whole, please pray for peace, safety and health for those who have been displaced, and for church leaders to work together with the government for peace. Please also pray for wisdom for Jason Polk and Ethiopia ACT as they continue to lead and serve faithfully in Ethiopia in the midst of the Covid 19 situation in Ethiopia.
If you would like to donate to the UN refugee agency in Ethiopia, you can do so HERE
If you want to learn more about the situation, HERE is a recent CNN news article and video clip.
If you would like to learn more about Jason Polk's work with Ethiopia ACT click HERE.
If you would like to donate directly to Ethiopia ACT click HERE.
Below is a recent update from Ethiopia ACT...
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck
Ethiopia ACT was ready. It wasn't because we saw it coming, but through God’s providence and the hard work of our team, three things made it possible to keep going, thrive and have new and greater impact in our communities.
Family Advocates
Last year we hired eight Family Advocates who are our eyes, ears and hands in our neighborhoods. They check on our families every month to make sure they are getting what they need and making sure that if something needs to be addressed, like a medical issue, that the right staff person is informed.
Savings Accounts and Direct Deposit
In January we made sure that all our families had savings accounts and we could deposit funds directly to everyone’s account. This means that instead of having large monthly gatherings to distribute food, oil, soap and other supplies, which was no longer safe, we could give each family a monthly stipend that goes directly to their bank account.
Strong Community Relationships
When the pandemic started local officials from our communities asked ACT to help. Few other charities had the resources or flexibility to shift and the government knew that we cared about our neighborhoods and would do our best to help. ACT provided food support for more than 200 new, at-risk families. We bought and helped distribute hand soap and more than 6,000 face masks. The government has held us up as an example and our visibility and testimony have increased dramatically.