Funding Secured to Re-Establish Maternal Health Services in Conflict-Affected Tigray
We are thrilled to share that Hamlin Fistula New Zealand has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the New Zealand Embassy Fund to support the re-establishment and strengthening of maternal health services in Tigray, Ethiopia. This generous two-year grant is enabling us to provide essential medical supplies to seven Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics that were impacted by the Tigray conflict.
During the devastating conflict, which began in November 2020, many health facilities across the region were destroyed or rendered non-functional. Hamlin’s clinics in Tigray—staffed by trained midwives and serving some of the most remote and underserved communities—were among those affected. This project aims to equip seven of these clinics with the supplies needed to resume safe childbirth, antenatal, and postnatal care, including family planning and emergency referrals.
Helping 37,000 Women Access Care
With this funding, we anticipate reaching approximately 37,000 women of reproductive age living in the catchment areas of these clinics. These women will now have access to skilled midwifery care close to home—care that can prevent life-threatening birth injuries, reduce maternal and newborn mortality, and restore dignity and hope in regions still recovering from the trauma of war.
The project also addresses the wider impact of conflict on women’s health. A recent study in Tigray found that 9.7% of women of reproductive age experienced sexual violence during the conflict, with long-term health consequences such as fistula, trauma, and complications from untreated pregnancies. By restoring midwifery care and reproductive health services, this project is responding to both immediate medical needs and broader community healing.
Medical Supplies Now En Route
We’re excited to report that the first shipment of supplies is now on its way to the Mekelle Hamlin Regional Hospital for onward distribution to the seven supported clinics. This includes a range of critical items—emergency drugs, delivery kits, and infection prevention supplies—that will ensure midwives can provide safe, effective care in each of the clinics.
Logistics in this region remain complex, and we are immensely grateful to our team at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia for coordinating procurement and transport, including careful planning around road conditions, safety, and the remoteness of these rural health centres.
Thank You MFAT
We’re proud to partner with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and deeply appreciative of their support for this life-saving work. It is thanks to this grant that these clinics—once silenced by conflict—can begin to reopen their doors and serve women once again.
