ETHIOPIA — The weight of the humanitarian crisis in Tigray is palpable, but it’s rarely in the news—even as urban areas in northern Ethiopia swell with traumatized families living in schools and tarp shelters. Samaritan’s Purse has been working in this region since February providing emergency food, cooking kits, and other relief. They have airlifted more than 135 tons of aid aboard their DC-8. Recently their teams have started constructing temporary shelters for families displaced by violent conflict—with more than 400 completed and hundreds more under construction. Now they’re also providing medical care in this area where clinics and hospitals are overwhelmed or incapacitated by vandalism.

Josanna Raber, RN, Samaritan’s Purse:

I’m Josanna Raber. I’m here with Samaritan’s Purse as a registered nurse. In this area, there’s been a lot of conflict, and a lot of health care centers have closed due to that. So Samaritan’s Purse is here with a mobile medical unit to provide medical care to help fill the gap for the displaced people we have here.

So behind us you’ll see we’re set up to see patients by our physicians, and also provide medications that are needed in this area. The people that are here have nowhere else to live. They can’t stay outside due to safety issues, and so they’re gathering all together in classrooms. A lot of health care centers have decreased, and so we’re able to be here to fill the gap. Please pray for the displaced people of Tigray, that they would know the hope and peace of Jesus Christ through our medical teams.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Kaitlyn Lahm, news@samaritan.org

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