Tigray: The Weeknd takes part in US government meeting on ‘devastating’ Ethiopia crisis
Tesfaye urged everyone to help spread awareness about the issue and donate for the people of Ethiopia
Ethiopia Massacre: UN concerned over disrupted humanitarian aid to more than two million people in Tigray
Pop artist The Weeknd participated in a USAID government meeting where he was briefed about emergency response to the “devastating” crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia.
The 31-year-old Canadian singer, real name Abel Tesfaye, participated in the meeting on Thursday (10 June) alongside USAID’S administrator Samantha Power, and National Security Director Colin Thomas-Jensen among others.
In an Instagram post, the “Save Your Tears” singer said that 90 per cent of the population in Ethiopia requires humanitarian assistance, and two million people are now displaced due to the events that unfolded in Tigray.https://2bd5bd1a43a53dc80afa0a4e868e85a6.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
He also highlighted that 63,000 refugees, as of April 2021, have been arriving in Eastern Sudan, and there’s a high risk of serious famine in the state without an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance.
“There’s increased protection needed for at-risk groups, such as women and girls experiencing gender-based violence,” he wrote.
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Tesfaye urged everyone to help spread awareness about the issue, and also attached a USAID donation link in his Instagram profile’s bio. https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6u3FrhLkw/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=12
The artist, who won 10 Billboard awards this year, donated $1m (£709,000) in April to Ethiopian relief efforts amid continued violence in the country.
Born to Ethiopian immigrant parents, the “After Hours” singer wrote at the time: “My heart breaks for my people of Ethiopia as innocent civilians ranging from small children to the elderly are being senselessly murdered and entire villages are being displaced out of fear and destruction.”