Hausfassade mit Einschusslöchern

Emergency food aid for war-affected families in Tigray

Wukro – Emergency Aid

Project goal

Due to war in Tigray in 2020/2021, many families were in urgent need of food. We saved them from further shortages and hunger. Children in particular urgently needed help to avoid developmental damage. That's why we brought trucks with emergency aid to those in need in the city.

Landkarte von Äthiopien mit Markierung bei Wukro

The project

The Elshadai Children's Village is located in the town of Wukro in the Tigray region. The home with 160 orphans was spared from destruction or looting during the peak war period (November and December 2020). There were no injuries or deaths. But in spring 2021, people suffered from the consequences of the war. Hardship was particularly great in the rural suburbs. Poor families ran out of food. The local administration was sometimes not yet able to solve the problems alone.

Our partner organization Elshadai is well connected in the community thanks to its long-standing operation of the children's village. Many of the 82 employees are locals. This is why Elshadai knows the situation of the families very well. 3,000 families were in urgent need of emergency food aid because they could not find work due to the consequences of the war, their reserves were used up and food was unaffordable for them.

After identifying the families, the partner organization purchased the emergency aid in Mekele, the capital of Tigray, 45 kilometers away. Around 240 tons of food were transported to Wukro on trucks. There, employees of the children's village organized and documented the distribution of the packages to the families. Each family received wheat flour (50 kg), beans (25 kg), cooking oil (5 l) and three soaps. 68 Swiss francs were spent per family.

The Foundation Menschen für Menschen monitored the purchase and distribution of goods to the families through independent experts.

Project information

  • Activities:
    • Identification of needy families
    • Procurement of relief supplies in Tigray's capital Mekele
    • Transport of goods to the city of Wukro
    • distribution of relief supplies to families
    • follow-up of the situation
  • Target group: Families in the rural area of Wukro
  • Region: Wukro, Tigray
  • Partner: NGO Elshadai, Wukro
  • Duration: Spring 2021

The problem

In Dengolo, a rural suburb of the city of Wukro, many poor families suffered from the aftermath of the November and December 2020 fighting in Tigray between the Ethiopian army and the regional power TPLF. During the uncertain period of fighting, day laborers were unable to work. In March 2021, economic, social and administrative life was still partly disrupted. The poor families had no savings; they always lived from hand to mouth. There were goods to buy in the city markets, but the poor families no longer had any money to buy food. They had to ration their food. The youngest children in particular were at risk of malnutrition and health problems.

Mutter mit ihren zwei Kindern mit Getreidekorb in der Hand

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

With the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations has formulated 17 goals for sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a roadmap for the future that enables a dignified life while preserving the natural foundations of life. With this project, we have contributed to achieving the following goals:

All Sustainable Development Goals

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