The Weeknd has proven time and time again to be quite the philanthropist. He’s previously lent a helping hand out to other humanitarian efforts like COVID-19 relief and racial justice causes like Black Lives Matter and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights camp. He also donated $300,000 to Lebanon to aid those who had been affected by the Beirut explosion. Helping another nation in need, the After Hours artist is donating $1 million to hunger relief efforts in Ethiopia amid the country’s ongoing internal conflict.
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The XO artist announced the news of the donation via his respective social media channels on Sunday (April 4), urging others to follow suit. “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,” The Weeknd wrote.
“I will be donating $1 million to provide 2 million meals through the United Nations World Food Programme and encourage those who can to please give as well,” he finished, adding that the donation link for those interested would be in his bio.
Both of the Toronto native’s parents immingrated to Canada from the East African nation. The conflict in the country, which has left many innocent civilians either displaced or dead, stems from tensions between the government in Addis Ababa and the Tigray region.
Last month, in a U.S. internal government report obtained by The New York Times, Ethiopian officials were described as “leading a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing” in the Tigray region.
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