ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — A Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 airlift has landed in Ethiopia with life-saving equipment and supplies to help hospitals devastated by recent violence. Armed conflict in one northern area of the East African nation has left medical facilities unable to provide critical services for some 350,000 people.

Vulnerable people, including the sick, wounded, and even expectant mothers, have been forced to travel long distances in the area, often unable to reach critically needed treatment in time.

Watch this update from one of the hospitals where equipment airlifted by Samaritan’s Purse is headed. With the resupply this facility should be able to serve increased numbers of patients over the next six months.

Nick Bechert – Samaritan’s Purse:

I’m Nick Bechert, the response team leader for Samaritan’s Purse in Northern Ethiopia. The hospital that we’re at right now was brought into the conflict this past fall. When that happened all of the hospital’s doctors and nurses, they fled. Everything that was here, all of the supplies were looted and removed from the facility. The operating room that they used to do surgeries in, the anaesthesia – everything was taken away.

The issue now is having the supplies and equipment to treat cases. Yesterday, we were here and a boy came in with a crushed foot. They took him into the emergency room. But if he needed surgery there would be no operating theatre that could take care of him, no medicine that they could provide.
It’s the same with many patients, whether it’s chronic diseases of hypertension or diabetes. We’ve heard of those patients dying simply because they can’t receive their meds.

Dr. Taye Gebeyehu – Physician:

This room is an imaging room. From this room, previously we had two X-ray machines and two ultrasound and there is three digital computers but all of them are destroyed. But we are happy also for your help, Samaritan’s Purse, your help by different materials and we say thank you.

Endris Muhye – Samaritan’s Purse:

The medical equipment, the medical supplies brought by Samaritan’s Purse make me very excited and happy, because you know, this is really needed equipment and materials.

Nick:

All of these supplies through the flight plan and everybody that was loading, the Ambassador, the Minister of Health, the prayers of the people around the world – they were praying for the supplies to come to this location. It was a really special moment for the team when we realized we would have the honor of receiving that at the end and getting that established here at the hospital. So thank you for providing the supplies and the prayers to get it out here. We ask that you would continue in that and lifting up our team and the people here in Ethiopia.

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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