Iran War Casts Shadow Over Ethiopia’s Easter Celebrations as Fuel Scarcity Pushes Prices Through the Roof
### From Subdued Church Services to Black Market Fuel Lines: How Middle East Conflict Has Disrupted Daily Life for Millions of Ethiopian Christians
For millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, the Easter season that should bring joy and communal celebration has instead become a time of anxiety and quiet hardship. As worshippers marked Good Friday in Addis Ababa on April 10, the mood was subdued across the capital — not because of any lack of faith, but because the ongoing Iran war has gutted fuel supplies and sent the price of everything from gas to sheep scrambling beyond the reach of ordinary families.
Ethiopia, which follows the Julian calendar, observes Easter on a different schedule from Catholic and Protestant churches. The 55-day fast known as Abiy Tsom — during which worshippers wear white traditional attire and attend extended prayers — had been building toward Sunday’s Fasika celebration. But the Middle East conflict has severely disrupted supply chains that the country relies on for imported fuel, leaving gas stations empty and forcing a scramble for black market supplies at eye-watering premiums.
Samuel Teshome, an Addis Ababa resident, told the Associated Press he was reconsidering whether he could even afford the traditional Easter meal. “The price of sheep has almost doubled and purchasing such delicacies has suddenly become out of reach for me and my family,” he said. His sentiment was echoed across the capital — a city where the annual ritual of slaughtering livestock for Easter gatherings has become a casualty of rising costs.
The government has responded with a series of emergency measures. Public employees have been encouraged to work from home where possible, food price controls have been imposed, and fuel priority has been given to essential services including hospitals, emergency transport, and food distribution networks. Yet these measures have done little to ease the situation on the streets.
Tefera Aragaw, a minibus taxi driver, described a grim reality at fuel stations: “We have been waiting for three days, and we spent the nights here. There is also a possibility that we may not be able to get fuel at all.” For drivers like Tefera, the fuel shortage is not merely an inconvenience — it is an existential threat to their livelihoods.
Sirawdink Admaus, another resident, broke down the economics of survival in a besieged city. “Previously, the highest price of a cock was 1,500 birr, but now it has reached 2,500 birr. It has doubled. The reason they tell you why is that fuel costs to transport them from rural areas to the capital have increased.” The price increases ripple across every link in the supply chain — from rural farms to city markets — ultimately landing on consumers who can least afford it.
The Iran war’s impact on global fuel markets has been devastating for import-dependent economies like Ethiopia’s. As hundreds of millions of barrels have been removed from international oil markets, prices have surged globally — and for a country that lacks domestic refining capacity and relies heavily on imports, the effect has been amplified many times over. Ethiopia’s currency has struggled to absorb the shock, making imports even more expensive.
The situation also raises questions about Ethiopia’s energy security strategy going forward. With the government forced to ration fuel for essential services, there is mounting pressure on authorities to fast-track alternative energy projects and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
For the millions of Ethiopian Christians who will mark Easter Sunday this weekend, the celebrations will inevitably be quieter, more restrained, and marked by the awareness that circumstances beyond their control have stripped away the abundance that should accompany such an important occasion. Yet in churches across the capital, the prayers continue — and with them, the hope that brighter days lie ahead.