Hungry Minds: The Fight for Education in Tigray

The two-year conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to severe disruptions in education, causing significant learning losses and widespread psychological trauma. On November 4, 2020, the Ethiopian government launched a military offense against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The conflict's catastrophic impact on the Tigray region has been profound. Schools became deliberate targets of the Eritrean government, the Ethiopian government, and the Amhara militia, resulting in the closure of over 7,000 schools and leaving nearly 1.5 million children without access to education. The World Health Organization has described this as the "world's worst humanitarian crisis," highlighting the immense scale of the destruction.

 According to reports from the Luminos Fund, 70% of children in Tigray feared death from starvation, 72% experienced close-range shootings, and 62% believed they would be killed. Nearly half of these children in Tigray exhibit symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with the highest rates in regions like West Tigray, where atrocities were most severe. 

Our team traveled to Tigray, Ethiopia, to document the damages at Selekleka Mekane Eyesus Primary School. The video below provides a look at the devastation and offers a distressing reminder of the urgent need for support and intervention in the region. Check the Link