Fifty thousand civilians have died—so far. Military conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has resulted in displacement, mass rape, looting, and starvation. According to BBC sources, “literally millions of people [are] beyond the reach of humanitarian aid.”

NGOs are ready and waiting to assist Tigray peoples, but they don’t have a way in due to government restrictions.

CT reported on these tensions and the political circumstances surrounding them in November. At the time, a WorldVision staffer told CT, “...here, it is not just winning or losing an election. It’s life or death: access to land, access to food … the stakes are so high.”

Roger Sandberg, of Medical Teams International, and Dr. Andrew DeCort, on the ground with the Neighbor Love movement in Ethiopia, recommend several actions.

1) Learn about the rich history of Ethiopia to understand its current political situation.

2) Pray for our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia.

3) Advocate. Tell your government officials to apply pressure to the government of Ethiopia to open up a humanitarian corridor, so that aid can get through.

4) Donate. Grants that might normally be available when organizations have access to a region are currently off the table.

Roger’s organization, Medical Teams International, and Andrew’s organization, The Neighbor-Love Movement, are both open for donations.

For more news on the conflict, Roger recommends following the BBC, and Andrew recommends the Addis Standard.

"On Being a Good Neighbor", sermon draft by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This episode produced by Laura Finch

Theme Song “Turning Over Tables” by The Brilliance