As millions of Ethiopians marked Good Friday in Addis Ababa, the Middle East crisis continues to cast a long shadow over religious celebrations, with chronic fuel shortages and rising costs of basic commodities turning what is normally a festive occasion into a subdued affair. Christians across the country are honoring the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ahead of Fasika, Ethiopia’s Easter holiday, but the economic pressures stemming from global energy market disruptions have made traditional rituals increasingly difficult to observe.
The slaughtering of animals, a customary communal practice during the holiday, has become elusive for many Ethiopian Christians. Samuel Teshome told The Associated Press that the price of sheep has nearly doubled since last year, putting such delicacies out of reach for his family. The crisis has also pushed many entrepreneurs toward the black market, where fuel sells at prices significantly above official rates, driving up the cost of essential products across the economy.
Tefera Aragaw, a minibus taxi driver, described waiting three days for fuel at gas stations, spending nights in queues with no guarantee of supply. The disruption to his income has forced him to anticipate a subdued celebration this year. The Ethiopian government has introduced strict measures in response, including urging public employees to work from home, controlling food prices, and prioritizing fuel for essential services, though these steps appear to have had limited impact on residents.
Sirawdink Admaus noted that the price of a cock has doubled from 1,500 birr to 2,500 birr, with sellers attributing the increase to higher fuel costs for transporting goods from rural areas to the capital. Ethiopians follow the Julian calendar, which runs several days later than the Gregorian calendar used by Catholic and Protestant churches, but the economic hardship knows no denominational boundaries. The fuel crisis, a direct consequence of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, continues to ripple through the Ethiopian economy, affecting transport, food prices, and household purchasing power.
