A representative from a national NGO in Egypt said of the U.S. aid cuts: “A 16-year-old Sudanese student dropped out just weeks before his final exams because we could no longer cover his school fees [after funding ended]. Families are now forced to choose between school and basic needs like food and rent. We’re seeing more absenteeism, child labor, and girls left unprotected as parents must work and leave them alone."

Date: 4/25

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Country: Egypt

Topic: Education, Refugees & Displacement

Policy Lens: Moral Leadership

Entry Type: Field Observation

Additional Context: This information comes from the WRC report, "A Year of Harms: The Impact of US Foreign Aid Cuts on Women and Girls in Humanitarian Crises." WRC researchers analyzed publicly available evidence on how the 2025 US foreign aid cuts have affected women and girls. Drawing on 105 gender-disaggregated sources from humanitarian crises in 32 countries, the report shows that funding reductions triggered cascading failures in health, protection, education, livelihoods, and civil society systems—impacts that have compounded over the past year.

This quote was originally collected in a survey conducted by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action published in April 2025.

Source: WRC,The Alliance