While many members of this community remained faithful to Judaism, some of these Jews converted to Christianity. In fact, according to Refugees International, even among those who 'converted', there was little intermarriage with their Christian neighbors and the community continued to be called Beta Israel. However, inadequate assistance is being provided to the destitute Jews remaining in Ethiopia. A team of medical experts recently surveyed the medical, nutritional, and socio-economic situation of the Addis Ababa Beta Israel community. They document conditions that are appalling even by Ethiopian standards.
Families lack adequate shelter and needlessly suffer through the harsh rainy season.
The situation in Gondar is even worse. In April, then Interior Minister Natan Sharansky visited a home in Gondar where the mother was too malnourished to nurse her child. The baby died several days later. Minister Sharansky stated that the homes he visited in Ethiopia were comparable to his punishment cell in Siberia. Food prices have also risen dramatically as a result of the famine which is sweeping Ethiopia.