Three women's safehouses lost nearly $900,000 in the Tigray region of Ethiopia due to U.S. aid cuts to the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA. According to these organizations, this led to a reduction in survivor intake from approximately 200 survivors to approximately 90 survivors per quarter. Staffing was reduced from 29 staff to 12 protection workers, even as the waitlist for women in dire need of support grew.

Date: 2/25

Region: Africa

Country: Ethiopia

Topic: Gender Equality & Inclusion, Refugees & Displacement

Policy Lens: Moral Leadership

Entry Type: Operational Impact

Additional Context: This information was compiled as part of Refugee International's issue brief, "A Generational Collapse: Tracking the Toll of Trump’s Humanitarian Aid Cuts." The analysis draws on publicly reported humanitarian impact data, their own field reporting, and reporting from refugee-led organizations and community-based NGOs in multiple crisis-affected countries. It is not an exhaustive catalog of all impacts.

This information was shared directly with Refugees International.

Devex Researcher Note: Though Refugees International does not explicitly mention that USAID funded these safehouses, in May 2025 the U.S. government severed future ties with UNFPA after already terminating 40 humanitarian programs with the agency. In the list of terminated awards made public in March 2025, multiple BHA programs that were terminated in Ethiopia include the protection services as described.

Source: Refugees International