U.S. Aid Freeze Could Endanger Afghan Women's Health

A U.N. official warns that a U.S. pause in funding may halt sexual and reproductive health services for millions of Afghans, possibly leading to over 1,000 maternal deaths by 2028. This halt affects nine million people in Afghanistan and over a million Afghan refugees in Pakistan.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 04-02-2025 19:18 IST | Created: 04-02-2025 19:18 IST
U.S. Aid Freeze Could Endanger Afghan Women's Health

A United Nations aid official has issued a stark warning: a U.S. funding hiatus could leave millions of Afghans without critical sexual and reproductive health services, risking over 1,000 maternal deaths between 2025 and 2028.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause in foreign development aid to assess its efficiency and alignment with his administration's foreign policy. This decision sounded alarms among global aid organizations reliant on U.S. support. Trump has also reinstated U.S. participation in international anti-abortion agreements, cutting family planning funds to foreign groups promoting abortion.

Pio Smith from UNFPA highlighted that this would impact over 9 million Afghans and 1.2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, further escalating health crises in a region where maternal mortality rates are exceedingly high.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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