Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The UN warns that millions of Afghan women may lose access to maternity care after U.S. aid cuts, risking a rise in maternal deaths.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued an urgent warning that the recent halt in U.S. financial aid could severely jeopardize maternal health services in Afghanistan. The agency says the move may deprive millions of Afghan women of access to safe childbirth support and could undo years of progress in reducing maternal mortality.
The UNFPA announced that around nine million Afghan women are now at risk of losing essential maternal health services due to the suspension of U.S. funding. These services have been critical in ensuring safer births across the country.
Officials emphasized that reduced funding would likely lead to a rise in maternal deaths, reversing two decades of progress made with international assistance. The threat looms large over a population already vulnerable due to ongoing conflict and economic hardship.
Until recently, the United States had provided nearly one hundred eighty million dollars annually to the UNFPA. This aid was crucial for maintaining clinics, training midwives, and supporting reproductive health infrastructure in Afghanistan.
With the complete halt of this funding, the UN agency warns of immediate and devastating consequences for Afghan mothers, especially in rural areas where health services are already limited or inaccessible.
The UNFPA is urging the global community to act swiftly by stepping in to fill the funding gap. Without emergency support, the agency fears a steep increase in preventable deaths during childbirth.
Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. International health programs have significantly reduced these numbers over the last twenty years, largely thanks to sustained foreign aid. That progress now stands on the brink of collapse.
The UN’s call for support serves as a reminder that the lives of millions of women depend on continued international solidarity. If the global community fails to respond, Afghanistan could once again face a maternal health crisis of tragic proportions.