Ethiopian civil war: Hong Kong pair trek to raise funds for victims, while their neighbours with adopted son from Tigray shield him from the conflict’s horrors
- Tigray in northern Ethiopia is mired in a conflict with the federal government which has seen thousands of people killed and millions displaced
- ‘We are very concerned for all the people,’ says the mother of a boy adopted from Tigray. Two of the family’s neighbours walked 45km to raise funds for relief
The sleepy beachside village of Shek O, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, is worlds away from the conflict taking place in Ethiopia. But for one family, the crisis in the east African country is close to their heart.
In 2011, Karen Arndt and Chris Prosper adopted a baby boy from Tigray in northern Ethiopia, a region embroiled in conflict since the government, under prime minister Abiy Ahmed, launched a military offensive against the ruling faction there, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
“When fighting first broke out in November, most of the world was focused on the US presidential election,” says Arndt. “At that time, humanitarian aid organisations and international journalists were barred from entering the region, so there was very little news coming out. But the few stories that did filter out were very distressing.”
Six months on, the situation remains dire. According to media reports, the conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced more than two million people, with tens of thousands of refugees reportedly fleeing to neighbouring Sudan.
The UN World Food Programme says that 5.2 million people in Tigray – 91 per cent of its population – are in urgent need of food assistance.
Helping to raise awareness and funds for those affected by the conflict are Shek O community members Enno Jhena Davait and Amanda Lote.
Why giving is good – for you and the people you help
In April the pair completed a 45km (28 mile) trek from The Peak to Big Wave Bay, finishing the 65,000 steps in around 10 hours. They are now calling on people to donate to the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the global humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, that is helping with relief efforts in Tigray.
“It’s important for a community to come together and support each other,” says Davait, a keen runner, who came up with the idea for the fundraising hike.
The situation is desperate, says John Shumlansky, a CRS representative in Ethiopia who since January has made multiple visits to Tigray’s capital city, Mekele. Access to the region continues to be a challenge, he says.
“The most urgent need is food, followed by clean water, shelter, health care and household/clothing items,” Shumlansky says via email. “Telecommunications is also a major concern, especially for aid organisations trying to coordinate operations and deliveries of supplies to communities in need.
“There is also a great need to address the protection of vulnerable groups, including the disabled and elderly, as well as protection against gender-based violence against women and girls.”
In April, members of the UN Security Council expressed “deep concern” about allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including reports of sexual violence against women and girls in Tigray. It has called for investigations to “find those responsible and bring them to justice”.
Deprose Muchena, regional director, East and Southern Africa for human rights NGO Amnesty International, says it’s “unconscionable that women and girls in Tigray are facing sexual violence while the world looks on”.
“Meanwhile hospitals and humanitarian providers have had supplies decimated in the conflict and are ill-equipped to assist,” Muchena said in a statement this month.
Why volunteering is so good for your well-being
At their Shek O home, Arndt and Prosper look through an album of photos taken during the two visits they made to Ethiopia to formalise their son’s adoption from an orphanage, stirring memories of how difficult life is in Tigray.
“Most of the economy in Tigray is rural – a hand-to-mouth subsistence agronomy with some animal husbandry, mainly goats and sheep,” says Arndt, adding that in 2020, the region was plagued by locusts in what the UN called the worst locust swarm in 25 years.
“It’s a very closed economy. Banking is hard and telecommunications even harder.”
Their son, now aged 10 and whose identity they want to keep private, bounds through the front door. He’s keen to finish his homework – playtime with friends is the reward.
“I know there’s a war happening in Ethiopia but I don’t really talk about it with my friends or with my teachers,” he says, plonking his school bag on the floor.
“Maybe one day I will go back but it’s very hot – and I’m not sure I want to take the medicine because the air is thin.”
It’s terrible to think what their lives might be like now, or what his life would be if he were still there. We are so grateful to our friends and neighbours for their support for the people of Tigray
Prosper laughs. “He’s talking about the high altitude and how some people take medication for altitude sickness.” The country’s capital, Addis Ababa, is the third-highest capital city in the world, at an altitude of 7,700 feet (2,355 metres).
The couple say that while they talk with their young son about what’s happening in his place of birth, they spare him the horrific details. Keeping him connected with Ethiopia, however, has always been part of their plan.
On the walls of their flat is artwork depicting village life in Tigray, while Arndt says she often cooks Ethiopian dishes such as kik wat, a red lentil stew, and performs traditional coffee ceremonies.
Adopted girl, reunited with birth parents on Hangzhou bridge, returns to China
“I put up posters with information about Ethiopia and have quiz nights with the family. We also watch YouTube videos of traditional Ethiopian dancing – it’s all in the shoulders,” she says.
Arndt says she was touched by the support from members of the community.
“We are very concerned for all the people in the region, especially any extended family our son might still have there,” she says. “It’s terrible to think what their lives might be like now, or what his life would be if he were still there. We are so grateful to our friends and neighbours for their support for the people of Tigray.”
You can make a donation to the Catholic Relief Services here
