Update on our work in Ethiopia

Brutal fighting in Ethiopia, taking place since November 2020, has left millions of internally displaced people in desperate need of food aid.

We usually feed more than 24,000 children at 36 schools in the semi-arid region of Tigray.

However, many of these schools are currently closed, as fighting rages on in Tigray – and many of the children who used to eat Mary’s Meals have had to flee for their lives.

Our partner in Ethiopia tells us: “This is the darkest chapter in the recent history of Tigray with monumental losses across the region.

“When things were at their worst, I received calls from our friends at Mary’s Meals, accompanied by prayers from the wider Mary’s Meals family that replenished my hope and gave me the reassurance that I was not alone and that I was loved and cared for and indeed as were all the people who suffer in Tigray.”

Since the conflict began, we have been able to provide more than 30,000 internally displaced people with vital food aid, thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

Lydia, 11, used to eat Mary’s Meals at her school. She tells us: “If we do not educate, we cannot save our country and we cannot be in a safe place. I hope all of us will decide the future of our country.”

Thanks to our generous supporters, as well as feeding hungry children in Ethiopia – which is always our priority – we are able to offer trauma counselling and set up classrooms in centres for internally displaced people.

For 20 years, Mary’s Meals has been able to reach children in the world’s poorest and most difficult locations because of the kindness and relentless hope of its supporters.

Today, we face some of our greatest challenges yet in a world devastated by conflict, food insecurity and the cost of living crisis. With Mary’s Meals, Hope Conquers Fear – even in the most difficult of times.