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The Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Northern Area Office (FGAE NAO) is on the verge of closure, leaving thousands in Tigray without vital sexual and reproductive health services. The head of the office has issued an urgent plea for support to sustain this critical organisation in a region grappling with the aftermath of conflict. This piece calls on the international community to rally behind FGAE NAO and prevent the collapse of a lifeline for many underserved populations.
Established in 1997, FGAE NAO operates as one of eight area offices under the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia, a volunteer-based nonprofit committed to advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). Before the Tigray conflict, the organisation provided a comprehensive range of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services through a network of three clinics delivering direct care, 46 public health facilities and 26 private clinics as partners, four universities and six workplace sites reaching broader communities, and a dedicated team of 50 staff members supported by over 2,000 volunteers. Its focus included mothers, children and youth, with programmes addressing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and reproductive health issues in underserved communities. FGAE NAO’s longstanding partnerships and community integration made it an essential health service provider in Tigray.
FGAE NAO during the conflict in Tigray
The outbreak of war in Tigray caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, leaving over 80 per cent of health facilities non-functional. In the face of this destruction, FGAE NAO demonstrated remarkable resilience. The organisation maintained the following vital services: maternal and child health services targeting women with HIV; youth centres offering one-stop services for young people; support to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) centres to ensure healthcare access for the displaced communities. At a time when most health facilities had ceased operations, FGAE NAO became a beacon of hope, sustaining care for vulnerable groups despite limited resources and immense challenges.
The head of the office, Mr Desta Kidanu, has said that FGAE NAO now faces an existential crisis in the aftermath of the conflict. The organisation has suffered critical resource gaps due to shifting donor priorities, reduced funding from core grant providers, and the compounded effects of global and national economic pressures. Its once-extensive network has dwindled, with only three clinics in Mekelle and Axum barely maintaining interrupted services. Even these clinics are on the brink of closure.
The situation has become dire: staff have been informed of potential organisational collapse; supplies are critically low, forcing the facility to turn away patients, including mothers with HIV and families with sick children; desperate patients continue to arrive, creating overcrowding and necessitating security measures to manage the situation.
Without immediate intervention, Tigray risks losing an irreplaceable pillar of healthcare for women, youth, and marginalised communities. Kidanu observes that “the decision to close the health services and youth recreation centre, which currently provides health services to over 2,000 young people, is deeply disappointing as both a citizen and a leader. However, by working together, we can still save this vital resource for our youth.”
Why sustaining FGAE NAO is essential
Sustaining FGAE NAO is essential to restoring public health infrastructure in Tigray, where most facilities remain non-functional, leaving a healthcare vacuum for vulnerable populations. It is also essential to addressing the rise of HIV and STIs in the post-conflict setting, which has been exacerbated by disrupted healthcare services, population displacement, and economic instability. The organisation is vital to ensuring maternal and child health in a region with high rates of maternal mortality and child health challenges, where access to reproductive health services is critical for survival. It plays a pivotal role in providing youth-focused services, which are essential for rebuilding a post-conflict society, addressing trauma, and empowering the next generation to contribute to social and economic recovery. Lastly, it provides critical support to IDPs and returnees, many of whom lack access to basic healthcare services and rely on organisations like the FGA NAO for their essential health needs.
In the context of rebuilding Tigray, FGAE NAO’s contributions go beyond healthcare delivery. The organisation also strengthens community resilience, supports public health education, and contributes to the long-term recovery of the region’s social fabric. Its closure would represent a catastrophic setback for health equity and the broader reconstruction efforts in Tigray.
Call to action
The closure of FGAE NAO would exacerbate an already dire public health crisis in Tigray, where rates of HIV and STIs are on the rise in the aftermath of the conflict. Sustaining the services provided by FGAE NAO is not merely an organisational imperative; it is a humanitarian necessity. Mr Kidanu states, “The board has decided to pursue a sustainable solution by encouraging self-sufficiency among individuals and institutions. Once again, we call on everyone to join efforts to save the FGAE, NAO.”
We, therefore, call on the FGAE’s central office and its donors to maintain funding for FGAE NAO, and on the international community, larger NGOs, and emergency relief organisations to support FGAE NAO through project funding, action research, and innovative strategies. We ask advocates and stakeholders worldwide to amplify the voices of those impacted by the organisation’s potential closure, mobilise resources, and engage in capacity-building efforts.
The board of FGAE NAO appeals for a range of support, including advocacy, fundraising, and research partnerships, to ensure the organisation’s survival and long-term sustainability.
The FGAE NAO has been a lifeline for Tigray’s most vulnerable populations, delivering critical health services under extraordinary circumstances. Its impending closure would leave a devastating void in a region already grappling with post-conflict recovery.
The international community must act decisively to prevent this outcome. The survival of FGAE NAO is a matter of health equity and human dignity for thousands in Tigray. Let us not allow this vital organisation to fade into history when it is needed most.
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Conflict of interest
Dr Fisseha Ashebir is a board member who oversees The Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia Northern Area Office.
