A reproductive health NGO country director in Ethiopia said: “[We] used the funding we were allocated to deliver reproductive health services to areas affected by conflict […] Here, people are dealing with unimaginable violence, war and the loss of their homes. By denying reproductive care, it strips them of another crucial element of their control and dignity. But without funding, we have not been able to continue these services.”
Date: 11/25
Region: Africa
Country: Ethiopia
Topic: Health, Refugees & Displacement
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Dr. Abebe Shibru, Country Director of MSI Ethiopia, an international NGO working on reproductive healthcare across 36 countries.
Devex Researcher Note:A Physicians for Human Rights brief noted that many healthcare services reaching internally displaced peoples, or IDPs, and those living in remote and conflict areas, have been reduced or overburdened due to U.S. funding cuts and the Trump administration’s expansion of theGlobal Gag Rule in January 2025. MSI is one of these providers, delivering sexual and reproductive healthcareacross 9 of Ethiopia’s 12 states, including to IDP settlements. U.S. funding, directly through USAID and indirectly through the United Nations Population Fund, contributed to strengthening the healthcare response in the country, particularly by promoting outreach in remote and active conflict areas.
Source: MSI