The musician announced the huge donation as part of an effort to combat the ongoing instability between the Ethiopian government and the country’s Tigray region.
What We Know:
- The Grammy-award-winning artist announced Sunday he would donate $1 million that would provide 2 million meals to the Ethiopian people. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was born in Canada as the son of two Ethiopian immigrants. He grew up speaking the native language, maintaining a connection to his parent’s home.
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- The crisis in Ethiopia stems from the Tigray region, the northernmost in the country. The region is home to most of the nations’ 7 million ethnic Tigrayans, who hold significant power within the government. In November, the region launched an attack on a military base, prompting a response from the government, which ultimately set off the conflict.
- To date, millions of people have been displaced from the conflict. The ongoing fighting has led to a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring countries. The Ethiopian government has been accused of human rights abuses by “indiscriminately shelling” multiple towns and cities across Tigray.
- This is not the first time The Weeknd has made humanitarian efforts; in 2020, the singer made several large donations. In June, he donated a million dollars to Covid-19 relief for frontline workers. That same month he donated $500,000 to racial justice groups, including Black Lives Matter. Then in August, The Weekend donated $300,000 to Lebanon to assist those affected by the Beirut explosion, according to Variety.
The Weeknd most recently made headlines for vowing to boycott the Grammys after his chart-topping album After Hours did not receive a single nomination. Earlier this year, the singer headlined the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.
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