The Weeknd recently donated USD 1 million to hunger relief in Ethiopia amid reports of ethnic cleansing in the Tigray region, resulting in thousands of deaths and more than two million people displaced in the area. If you’re unfamiliar with what’s happening in Ethiopia, in February, an internal U.S. government report found that people in Tigray are being driven from their homes in a war begun by Ethiopia, via the New York Times.
The 31-year-old Blinding Lights singer took to social media after making the donation and said: “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. 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 wrote. If you didn’t know, The Weeknd‘s parents immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia. He also grew up speaking Amharic, the language of Ethiopia.
If you missed it, earlier this month, the Canadian singer made headlines for boycotting the Grammys. After the singer’s After Hours was snubbed from the 2021 Grammys nominations list, The Weeknd announced his intention to boycott the music award show forever because of it. The Weeknd‘s album and hits like Blinding Lights received critical acclaim and broken several records, and yet, he got absolutely no recognition from the Recording Academy.
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