Maternity ward for refugees at risk from Trump aid cuts

A clinic in Rwanda's Mahama camp delivers thousands of babies every year – without it, many women face giving birth on the road to the nearest hospital,

- By Rachel Schraer

On the bumpy road leading out of Mahama refugee camp, in eastern Rwanda, women used to travel for as much as two hours to reach the nearest hospital - sometimes giving birth on the way. “I remember two babies died in that process. The mother had a cord prolapse. That is an extreme emergency; you have to act within 10 minutes,” says Dr Yassin Uwimana.

Dr Uwimana is now the head of comprehensive obstetric and neonatal care at the camp run by Save the Children where, as of 2023, refugees have been able to get all the medical care they need to deliver safely. But since Donald Trump came back into office and slashed foreign aid spending via the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the clinic has been living on borrowed time.

The doctors, nurses and midwives who care for women giving birth, including performing lifesaving emergency caesareans, are completely funded by the US government. The whole health centre, which also vaccinates children and treats malnutrition, receives 70 per cent of its funding from the US with the other 30 per cent coming from the UN.

In January, when he became president for the second time, Mr Trump put a stop to all foreign aid spending overnight. Shortly afterwards, the Mahama clinic team was told its funding would run out on 15 August. Now, a funding extension is keeping the clinic going until November with little clarity as to what will happen after that.

Without it, women could face long journeys for emergency care once again, and newborn deaths could return to previous levels – almost 30 times higher than once the clinic opened. While the clinic has had a stay of execution, the effects of the funding squeeze are still being felt.

‘The queues are growing’