The Gambella Region of Ethiopia remains one of the most underserved, fragile, and marginalized areas in the country, characterized by chronic poverty, recurring conflict, displacement, and limited access to essential social services. Despite its vast natural resources and strong community structures, the region has not benefited from sustained and large-scale development interventions.

Gambella is among the least developed regions in Ethiopia, with a significant proportion of the population living in extreme poverty. The region currently hosts more than 450,000 South Sudanese refugees, making it one of the largest refugee-hosting areas in Ethiopia. This situation has placed enormous pressure on already limited local resources and increased tensions between host communities and refugee populations.

Over the past 25 years, Gambella has experienced repeated cycles of conflict and instability, leaving many families vulnerable, many women widowed, and many children orphaned. Most recently, violent conflict in Gambella town and surrounding areas caused severe humanitarian suffering among vulnerable communities. Many homes were burned, families displaced, and household properties looted and destroyed.

As a result of the recent violence, 25,000 people are now living in temporary and unsafe shelters near the Ethiopia–South Sudan border without adequate food, clean water, healthcare, or protection services. Thousands of children lost their essential educational materials and personal belongings during the conflict.

Following a rapid community assessment conducted by Presbyterian Church of Ethiopia based in Addis Ababa, approximately 11,451 vulnerable children are currently unable to return to school because their educational materials, including exercise books, school uniforms, school bags, and textbooks, were looted or destroyed. These children include:

1. Orphans

2. Destitute children

3. Children from extremely poor households affected by the conflict

Without urgent humanitarian intervention, these children face prolonged interruption of their education, increased vulnerability, psychosocial distress, and heightened protection risks. In addition, displaced families lacking access to clean water are at serious risk of waterborne diseases and other public health emergencies.

The Presbyterian Church of Ethiopia is therefore seeking urgent humanitarian support to provide vulnerable children and affected families with:

1. Basic educational materials

2. Emergency food assistance

3. Clean and safe drinking water

4. Essential relief support

This assistance is critical to restoring hope, dignity, protection, and access to education for conflict-affected children and vulnerable households in Gambella Region.