Frontlines of Hunger: Ethiopia, Mary’s Meals & 40 Years Since Live Aid

On July 13, 1985, millions of people around the world tuned in to an unprecedented event — Live Aid — to raise awareness and funds for the famine in Ethiopia. The concert became a historic act of global solidarity, igniting a movement that endures to this day. 

Four decades on, the echoes of that moment are still being heard — not through music this time, but through meals. 

Ethiopia remains a country marked by resilience in the face of adversity. Today, Mary’s Meals is serving more than 110,000 life-changing meals every school day across the Tigray region, which has endured ongoing conflict, displacement, and food insecurity. 

These meals are more than nourishment. They are a reason for children to return to the classroom — often after months or years of absence. They are hope served daily. They are dignity restored to families struggling with the aftermath of war and hunger. 

Mary’s Meals has created a powerful new short film — On The Frontlines of Hunger — a ground-breaking documentary that highlights how conflict, drought and crop failure in Tigray, Ethiopia, has brought the region to the brink of new food crisis, with 4.5 million people urgently requiring emergency food aid. As the humanitarian crisis worsens, the film describes the impact of decades of conflict and poverty on communities and their children, who are dying from hunger, extreme malnutrition and related illnesses. 

Featuring unique access to testimony from people in Tigray, the film highlights the daily struggles and resilience of communities in the region who continue to fight for survival, and how a new, potentially catastrophic, famine is once again threatening the region. Amid the crisis, Mary’s Meals is feeding more than 110,000 children every school day.​The film is a testament to the unyielding determination of local partners, volunteers, and families who believe that every child deserves the chance to learn. 

As we reflect on Live Aid’s 40th anniversary, we recognize that its spirit lives on in the everyday acts of kindness that fuel Mary’s Meals — from the children who raise pennies in primary schools, to the communities in Ethiopia rebuilding with purpose. 

Back then, it was music. Today, it’s meals. And the message remains the same: we won’t stand by in the face of hunger. 

Watch the trailer for On The Frontlines of Hunger now…