People group profile · PG011536
The Afar of Ethiopia
The Afar of Ethiopia, numbering about 2,275,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Cushitic ethnic group indigenous to the Horn of Africa, living primarily in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. They speak the Afar language, an East Cushitic language within the Afroasiatic family, and are predominantly Sunni Muslim.
They are an indigenous people in the Afar-Saho people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Afar.
Fast facts
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Population
- 2,275,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Afar-Saho
- Primary language
- Afar (aar)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Afar, Amhara, and Somali regions: eastern lowlands
Where they live
Gospel status
The Afar are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Afar
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Afar · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Afar
Gospel resources in Afar
- Bible available, published 2023
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Afar
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Afar in other countries
The same people (ROP3 102419) is reported in 4 other countries.
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