Relief Society of Tigray
REST "was established in 1978, to serve the needs of the people in the liberated area of Tigray during the civil war and those affected by the droughts. During this period the cross-border operations run by REST from the Sudan and the Internal Food Purchase were the only channels of emergency assistance to the Tigray Peoples Libertaion Front (TPLF) controlled areas of Tigray. With 160 000 refugees returning from Sudan in the late 1980s the emphasis shifted from emergency relief to improving food production through the provision of agricultural rehabilitation and disaster prevention programs. RESTs grassroots origins and commitment to working with the poorest and most vulnerable still guide the organisation in what it does and where it works today." [1]
