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Emergency Appeal

June 29, 2021

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To all members, supporters, and donors, 

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The people of Tigray are currently going through unprecedented man-made suffering due to the conflict that was started on November 4, 2020, by the Federal Government of Ethiopia, under the guise of restoring law and order in the state of Tigray.

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It appears that this time was deliberately chosen to disrupt the harvest season when farmers were expecting to harvest their crop that normally sustains and feeds their families for the entire year. This is also the time where they sell their excess crops in order to generate income.

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Sadly, a huge swarm of locusts invaded Ethiopia in October severely damaging crops while still in the fields. Tigray was one of those places severely affected by the plague. Although the locust ravaged thousands of hectares of matured crops all over Ethiopia, the damage in Tigray was particularly unique because the Federal Government of Ethiopia intentionally refused to allow preventive air chemical spray that would have helped in combating the swarm of locusts.

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The people resorted to taking measures on their own and did everything they could to combat the locust invasion by using traditional methods to protect their crops and succeeded in saving enough.  

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Unfortunately, just as they started to harvest what was left from the locust invasion, Tigray was invaded by close to half a million soldiers from the Federal Government of Ethiopia, Eritrea, the neighbouring state of Amhara, and Somalian soldiers from all directions. During this invasion towns were bombed, villages were totally looted and burned, their domestic animals were slaughtered and farm implements were purposefully destroyed.  Generally, every means the people depended on for their livelihoods like schools, health facilities, factories, farms, water distribution sources, businesses and places of worship have been deliberately destroyed. Soldiers used starvation and sexual violence as systematic weapons of war.

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With 90% of their harvest lost during these eight months of conflict, there is now famine in Tigray. This coupled with the spread of COVID-19, almost the entire population of Tigray is in danger and in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.            

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Current situation:

·          Currently 90% of the population in Tigray is in extreme need of humanitarian     

           assistance.

·          900,000 are in severe famine.  (Current USAID number)

·          33,000 children are in risk of death.

·          6,000 unaccompanied children.

·          Close to 2.5 million are internally displaced.

·          Over 65,000 people have fled to Sudan and they are currently being sheltered in

           UNHCR camps.

·          17million of Tigray’s domestic animals have been looted by soldiers and taken out

           of the state

·          Food aid donated by the US and WFP is still prevented from reaching the people in

           need.

·          22,500 female victims of sexual violence (8 years to 78 years old) and counting.

·          Out of 106 health facilities that existed prior to Nov 4, 2020 only 13% functioning now.

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Appeal:

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Taking into account the above situation in the state of Tigray, we would like to appeal to our members of TDA VAN (Tigray Development Association chapter in Vancouver, Canada), our esteemed supporters, and donors to contribute towards this urgent financial need and to help avert the current humanitarian catastrophe that is hanging over the people of Tigray.     

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The need is very immense and is currently estimated to be 120 million dollars. If Tigray is to survive this disaster, emergency food, medical aid, as well as all other recovery programs need to be mobilized immediately. 

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Thank you for your taking the time to understand this emergency appeal and donating to avert this crisis.

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Tigray Development Association, Vancouver Chapter

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