AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the State of Eritrea of Africa

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)

Home > May 17: Eritrea

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May 17: Eritrea

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Eritrea

State of Eritrea

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 121,100 sq km
Arid, temperate highland plateau and a strategic desert plain along the busy Red Sea Coast shipping lanes.
Population: 5,223,994    Annual Growth: 3.15%
Capital: Asmara
Urbanites: 21.6%
HDI Rank: 165 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 19 (47% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Tigrinya. Tigre, Arabic and English (especially for secondary and tertiary education) also widely used    Languages: 18 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Muslim

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	2,471,472	47.31	3.3
Evangelicals	111,400	2.1	4.6
Muslim	2,625,579	50.26

Prayercast

Challenges for Prayer

Peace and national stability remain out of reach for Eritrea, in and out of conflict with neighbouring countries for decades, most notably with Ethiopia. Pray for:
a) The establishment of peace with Ethiopia. Unresolved border disputes have led to mounting tensions and failed UN peacekeeping missions. Pray for humility, willingness to compromise on the parts of the leaders, just and wise actions by the international community and an end to the hostilities that neither country can afford.
b) National economic recovery and progress are virtually impossible, since the majority of the workforce are conscripted to military service for an indefinite period. Facing mandatory military careers, many young people flee Eritrea, seeking a brighter future elsewhere, an action that can bring reprisals against family members left behind.
c) Adequate food and resources. The ongoing threat of war, international relations and severe drought leave millions of Eritreans dependent on foreign assistance for food, whether through relatives abroad or the promise of humanitarian aid often not received. Many face extreme poverty with no relief in sight.
The Christian Church faces terrible ongoing persecution, both outside the recognized churches and, to some degree, within. Many leaders and lay members are in prison, and more are under house arrest; the government has seized many church assets. Christians are largely Orthodox, mostly from among the Tigrinya, with some from among the Kunama, Bilen or other peoples. Evangelicals are fewer, but are present to varying degrees within most denominations. Christians of all denominations have been refined and drawn together in fellowship through recent decades due to war, drought and government oppression. But the intense suffering of the Church in Eritrea is one of the untold stories of the past decade – a story of tragedy and ultimately, we pray, great spiritual harvest. Pray that Christians may remain fervent for Jesus amid hardship and make a significant impact on their nation and beyond.
     For an additional 5 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Eritrea.