The Weeknd Donates US $ 1 Million to Feed Tigray Residents in Ethiopia

The Weeknd used its humanitarian side on Easter Sunday and announced a partnership with the United Nations World Food Program. The Grammy-winning artist donates $ 1 million to provide 2 million meals to citizens of the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The news of the donation was communicated to his Instagram account.

“My heart breaks for my Ethiopian people as innocent civilians, from young children to the elderly, are senselessly murdered and entire villages are displaced in fear and destruction,” The Weeknd wrote.

The singer-songwriter ended the post by encouraging those who can donate to do so through the link on his Instagram bio. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is the son of Ethiopian immigrants. He was born in Toronto, Canada in 1990.

Last week, during a United Nations briefing, the World Food Program (WFP) said it would need $ 170 million to provide food and nourishment to citizens over the next six months. The Ethiopian government asked the WFP to support less than half of the 4.5 million people in need.

Tigray has been affected by riots and violence for five months. According to CNN, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had already claimed in November 2020 that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had attacked a federal military base. In response, the Prime Minister ordered attacks on TPLF. Interestingly, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received a Nobel Peace Prize medal in 2019. According to a United Nations statement on March 25, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Commission on Human Rights will open an investigation into the crimes.

“The conflict outbreak in Tigray last November coincided with the peak harvest season, which meant jobs and incomes were lost, markets were disrupted, food prices rose and access to cash and fuel became very difficult,” the WFP told IM Briefing.

Almost two million people have been displaced and thousands are believed to have been killed, raped and ill-treated.

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