A firsthand account of the dire situation in Tigray, Ethiopia

I recently travelled to Tigray in Ethiopia, where a terrible combination of brutal war and devastating drought has taken hold of the people there and brought them to the brink of starvation. Many are saying the situation could be worse than the infamous famine the region suffered in the 80s. Back then, it's estimated that up to a million people starved and died. But as our partner asked me: "Why does it have to be worse than last time? Why do we have to wait for it to be a famine? Children are definitely already dying."

I want to tell you all about the children and families I met. Those who have nothing left to give other than their stories. They relieved their worst experiences in their telling. But they were determined to do so in order that the world might wake up and say, I’m sorry, let us help you now.

During my time in Tigray, I recorded these video diaries to try to capture just some of the experiences I shared with the people there. Please trust me when I tell you that the children that I met there are waiting for people to agree that their stories deserve to be heard, and their lives are worth saving. 

Shona Shea

Senior Content Manager