Ethiopia: hunger, looting and violence

"There is a food shortage, the banks are closed, the hospitals and other public buildings are useless, there is no petrol, prices are rising every day," explain the Salesian missionaries from Ethiopia. "In Adwa, the only functioning hospital is that of the Salesian sisters and many factories have been looted," they add. "We can say that we are facing a humanitarian crisis", say the missionaries.

The conflict in the region of Tigray, in the north of Ethiopia, has left thousands of people dead and over 50,000 displaced and homeless since 4 November last. Communications have been cut off, electricity is out, banks and markets have been closed, and the area is now deserted. The search for food and water has been compounded by looting and hospitals rendered unusable by the bombing.

The Salesian missionaries in Mekelle and Adwa are in good condition, but Adigrat and Shire are still without communication. "We managed to talk to them a few days ago, but communications are still cut off in Adigrat and Shire, where there are 14 more missionaries", warn the missionaries from Addis Ababa.

"We trust that the missionaries who have not yet been contacted are well and we are sure that we are helping the most vulnerable people," explains Eusebio Muñoz, director of the Salesian Missions. The Salesian missionaries in Ethiopia attend to, help and accompany more than 5,000 children and young people and their families. Two Spanish Salesian missionaries have been working in Ethiopia for decades: Alfredo Roca, 87 years old, who is in Adigrat, one of the areas still not connected to the rest of the world, and Gabriel Larreta, 94 years old, who is in the capital, Addis Ababa.

From Salesian Missions they request that an access be opened to bring emergency aid and to be able to attend to the most vulnerable people. They ask for dialogue with the actors of the conflict in order to overcome the crisis.