Many women-led organizations reported learning about U.S. foreign assistance cuts indirectly through partner organizations or social media, rather than from official channels. This lack of clarity severely disrupted planning and decision-making. As one participant explained, “We were waiting for confirmation, but there was no communication; we didn’t know whether to continue or to stop.”
Date: 12/25
Region: Africa
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Topic: Refugees & Displacement, Economy & Livelihoods
Policy Lens: Security & Resilience
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: As is the case in most locations where USAID operated, most local organizations did not receive funding directly from large donors. Instead, they rely on intermediary partnerships with international NGOs. This increased vulnerability to global shifts in foreign assistance, often leaving these frontline implementers the last in line to receive important information on programming decisions and contingency plans. This was the case as described by representatives of local women-led organizations interviewed by the Women's Refugee Commission in the DRC.
This report from the Women's Refugee Commission examines the dual shocks of renewed conflict and funding withdrawal in eastern DRC. The researchers reviewed publicly available secondary resources, and conducted fieldwork in August 2025. They interviewed eight women-led organizations and ten internally displaced women in North and South Kivu.
Source: Women's Refugee Commission