Additional Context: The community education program was run by the International Rescue Committee, or IRC, which employed 120,000 teachers and provided learning materials, psychosocial support services, basic water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies to sustain children’s education and well-being. This project reached a total of 300,000 students, and was particularly focused on providing educational opportunities for young girls in the country. According to the IRC, these terminations are having a "devastating toll" in areas without schools, especially given restrictions on the education of girls, which stall economic opportunities and leave them more vulnerable to exploitation, early marriage, and entrenched poverty.

Devex Researcher Note: This project was supported by a $79.3 million USAID grant, which was set to run through September 2028 but was cancelled in February 2025.

Source: International Rescue Committee