Key facts
- Former aid workers in Nepal, including transgender individuals, have resorted to sex work due to U.S. foreign aid cuts.
- The cuts led to the closure of USAID-funded NGOs, eliminating crucial HIV prevention services.
- Approximately 100 LGBTQ+ former aid workers in Nepal are now engaged in sex work.
- Health experts warn of a potential surge in HIV prevalence due to the lack of access to medication and prevention tools.
- The U.S. State Department defended the aid cuts, citing a focus on efficiency and partnership.
Former aid workers in Nepal, particularly transgender individuals, have been forced into sex work to survive following significant cuts to U.S. foreign aid by the Trump administration. Rubi Lama, who previously conducted HIV outreach, now works as a sex worker on a highway in Hetauda, Nepal, alongside many former colleagues.
The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has led to the closure of NGOs that provided essential services, including HIV testing, counseling, and prevention medication like PrEP. This has left over 1,200 clients without access to crucial treatments and has halted services for marginalized communities.
Health experts and former aid workers express grave concerns about the public health implications, including a potential spike in HIV prevalence due to the lack of prevention methods, increased unprotected sex, and fear of discrimination preventing individuals from seeking medical care. The U.S. State Department stated that the administration focused on efficiency and partnership in its aid programs, asserting that the U.S. contributes more to health and humanitarian assistance than any other country.
In Nepal, an estimated 35,000 aid workers lost their jobs due to the funding cuts, exacerbating the country's high unemployment rate. For openly transgender individuals, legal employment options are scarce, leading a significant percentage of former NGO staff to turn to sex work. The risks of violence and HIV transmission are immense for these individuals, who are now in the same vulnerable position they once worked to help.