Ethiopia (MNN) — Since November of 2020, civil war has raged between the central Ethiopian government and the northern Tigray province. On March 24, the government declared a truce and promised to allow humanitarian aid into Tigray.

The director-general of the World Health Organization says people in the Tigray region are at risk more than any other place on Earth. He encouraged the world not to forget the war, even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to grab headlines.

A blockade has cut the region off from the outside world since the fighting began.

Local Christians

Eric Foley with The Voice of the Martyrs Korea says, “The interesting thing is that our local church contacts are not viewing this with enthusiasm and acclaim. It’s certainly not that they want to see the fighting continue, but the situation in Ukraine has been a good reminder that so-called humanitarian pauses in the war are often, unfortunately, used for strategic military advantage.”

Aid convoys into Tigray run the risk of being attacked by local militias or even roaming Eritrean soldiers. Since the war started, estimates say fighting has killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people. Even more have perished from starvation or lack of medical care. Foley says, “A ceasefire is no guarantee that these staggering statistics are going to be reversed or slowed. There has to be an intervention from God.”

How to pray

A new creation is breaking through the war and devastation. Local Christians are providing food and medicine to people whom aid convoys cannot reach.

Ask God to strengthen these believers. Foley says, “We sometimes look at big tragedies and believe that they need big solutions. But in many ways, the best solution to big tragedies is many small responses, and the wisdom of God has been that the body of Christ is composed of many members.”

The header photo shows a man walking past a destroyed tank in the Tigray region. (Photo courtesy of Yan Boechat/VOA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)