UN officials warn of possible rise in Afghanistan maternal deaths due to US aid suspension News
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UN officials warn of possible rise in Afghanistan maternal deaths due to US aid suspension

UN officials warned on Tuesday that the US suspension of foreign aid programs could lead to millions of women and girls facing life-threatening risks.

Pio Smith, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said the UNFPA will suspend services funded by US aid in South Asia. As a result, in Afghanistan, the UNFPA expects to suspend nearly 600 health and counseling centers. Smith stated, “In Afghanistan, between 2025 and 2028 we estimate that the absence of US support will result in 1,200 additional maternal deaths.” Smith added that 109,000 additional unintended pregnancies may result from the lack of funding.

Apart from the consequences in Afghanistan, the UNFPA assessed negative effects in other Asian countries. In Pakistan, “1.7 million people, including 1.2 million Afghan refugees, will be cut off from lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services”. Moreover, around 600,000 people in Bangladesh will likely lose access to maternal and reproductive health services. The UNFPA said it requires over $308 million to maintain its services in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Jens Laerke added that last year the US funded around 47 percent of the world’s humanitarian appeal. On January 24, the US paused almost all its foreign aid programs awaiting a 90-day review. Moreover, President Trump recently signed an executive order for the US to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). In response, Smith stated, “We hope that the US Government will retain its position as a global leader in the development and continue to work with UNFPA to alleviate the suffering of women”.

The UNFPA is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the United Nations. Its goal is to prevent maternal deaths, end gender-based violence, and provide family planning. International law protects women’s sexual and reproductive health as a human right under international covenants such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the International Covenant on Economic, Socia,l and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

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