In Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the struggle for survival continues for individuals like 76-year-old Haile Tsege, as hunger remains a persistent threat. The region, ravaged by conflict between Ethiopian forces and Tigray fighters from 2020 to 2022, faced severe restrictions that significantly cut aid supplies. Recently, further challenges emerged when food aid from the U.S. and U.N. was suspended due to a corruption scandal, and now, changes in U.S. foreign aid policies have exacerbated the situation.
The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration has led to the cessation of food deliveries to a major displacement camp housing over 20,000 people near Mekele, Tigray’s regional capital. “We will just die in silence,” Tsege lamented, reflecting the dependency of 2.4 million people in Tigray on humanitarian aid, predominantly from the U.S.
Ethiopia, with its massive population exceeding 125 million, was the largest recipient of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving $1.8 billion in the 2023 financial year. Apart from food aid, the funds were used for vital programs, including HIV medication distribution, vaccination schemes, literacy initiatives, job creation, and services for refugees.
However, most of these critical programs have been halted. The USAID employees responsible for overseeing these efforts have been placed on administrative leave, facing the risk of job termination, while the U.S. Embassy has remained silent on inquiries. Despite the fact that emergency food aid was exempt from an executive order suspending all foreign aid, the administrative challenges have left USAID’s payment systems non-functional.
Consequently, a consortium of aid agencies in Tigray has been forced to halt food distribution to over 1 million people relying on U.S.-provided grain, lacking funds for logistics such as transportation. This includes 5,000 metric tons of sorghum, positioned to feed 300,000 people for a month, stuck in storage in Mekele, with the risk of spoiling.
The head of the Relief Society of Tigray, Teklewoini Assefa, warns of a dire situation. “This will create malnutrition, disease. If this continues, death follows,” he stated, emphasizing the crux of the issue lies in USAID’s non-operational payment system.
The repercussions of these aid cuts are far-reaching in Ethiopia, with numerous USAID contracts terminated. Already, the country has been compelled to let go of 5,000 local healthcare workers crucial for its HIV response. For Tigray, dependent on U.S. funds, the situation is acute as the region struggles to recover from a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The healthcare infrastructure remains shattered, and many schools are still non-operational.
Child malnutrition rates reached alarming levels in 2024, with some areas reporting 21%, surpassing the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold of 15%. As a result, numerous nutrition improvement programs have stopped, along with projects to deliver essential medicines and vaccines. Water sources for displaced people’s camps have also been cut off.
“The impact has been huge,” noted Ashenafi Asmelash, director of Mums for Mums, which faced termination of USAID-funded endeavors to enhance farmer resilience and child nutrition. Management Sciences for Health, another organization, suspended efforts to combat tuberculosis and warned its staff of impending large-scale layoffs.
Efforts to aid thousands of women who endured sexual violence during the war have suffered too, as indicated by Rigat Bishaw from Ayder Hospital, Tigray’s largest healthcare provider. U.S.-based Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) has suspended survivor support sessions and a training program for health workers to identify and assist abuse cases.
“This sudden disruption is having a huge impact on the healing of traumatized people,” remarked Yohannes Fisseha, a CVT manager. Simultaneously, major projects targeting HIV-affected individuals and promoting community reconciliation have ceased, according to Yirga Gebregziabher of OSSHD, which had significant American backing.
The abrupt nature of these stoppages left many in Tigray disillusioned. “Our picture of America was as a protector of rights, a positive force in the world,” Yigra explained. “That image has now been broken. If there was a process, maybe the shock would have been less. But there was no consultation, no engagement.”
