Rusted screws, metal spikes and plastic rubbish: the horrific sexual violence used against Tigray’s women | Global development

> But now, some of the few clinics that helped survivors are shuttering, as the Trump administration closes USAID-funded projects around the world. The Centre for Victims of Torture (CVT), which runs five sites in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, had to cease counselling and physiotherapy sessions for women raped during the conflict after receiving a stop-work order. In Tigray’s camps for internally displaced people, where a number of women speaking to the Guardian now live, the handful of mobile clinics that provide healthcare are shutting down. The UK government, which provided close to £100m in aid to Ethiopia over the course of the conflict, is now slashing its aid budget by nearly 40%.

These women have had nail clippers, rusted nails, plastic garbage, and letters- actual hand written letters- forced *inside* their uterus. So long as these objects remain inside them, every time they move, they’ll feel indescribable pain.

Many have had parts of them wrapped in plastic and set on fire. Others had acid or boiling water thrown on them.

Their access to healthcare was already scarce. Now it’s about to be next to nonexistent.