PBF FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM LALIBELA IN BAHIR DAR

In the face of the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia, the Peter Bachmann Foundation is working with a non-political community initiative created by young volunteers who have fled their homes to the regional headquarters in Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa.

These motivated young activists take care of severe and urgent cases, especially women, elderly, sick and disabled people. They have fled hundreds of kilometers on foot with their most basic belongings and young children because the occupied Lalibela and neighboring villages have run out of essentials such as food, water and medicine.

Review of beneficiaries
We have on the ground our representatives from Lalibela who have also fled the city to Bahir Dar. Thanks to the generous donations received in response to Peter Bachmann’s request, we have been able to organize ourselves into groups to at least (unfortunately) identify only those in need of life-saving assistance. We have procured basic supplies such as food, hygiene items for women and children, clean drinking water tanks, some tents for shelters and rented rooms for those most in need. PBF’s nutrition program started this morning, October 15th.

We have identified priority cases using the database compiled by the Lalibela Committee.

This is a difficult and emotionally taxing task, as our team faces the dilemma of deciding on the “level of need”. All people who have fled their homes need to be supported in some way, but our capacity is limited and already overloaded. Deciding who we should provide medical care to is another difficult decision for Mesay, Abebe, and Sisay.

Nonetheless, we do not turn anyone away at the outset, accepting all those in need that we know of and providing them with basic necessities such as water and shelter.

Medical support
We consult with the local health facilities, which are obviously overwhelmed. The officials in charge are helpful. We have secured basic medical supplies in our own makeshift camp.

We ask for continued support , so that we can continue to accomplish our mission at PBF in the best possible way. Thank you.

Abebe Zewdu.

For PBF