WEB DESK: More than 60 health facilities in Pakistan will face the brunt of the suspension of US-funded programmes, affecting 1.7 million people including 1.2 million Afghan refugees.
These facilities will be closed down preventing many from accessing essential sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) services. These health services were being catered by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Pio Smith, said that the agency’s work was now in ‘jeopardy’.
According to the statement released on Tuesday, Smith said that following the US President Donald Trump’s executive orders on January 24, UNFPA had to suspend all services funded by US grants that ‘provide a lifeline for women and girls in crises, including in South Asia’. He said he was deeply concerned about the risks millions of girls and women face in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
“In Afghanistan, over 9 million people will lose access to health and protection services, with nearly 600 mobile health teams, family health houses, and counselling centers suspended,” the statement said. A shocking figure in Afghanistan was also revealed that every two hours, a mother dies from preventable pregnancy complications which makes the country one of the most unsafe for childbirth.
“This is not about statistics. This is about real lives. These are literally the world’s most vulnerable people. I have seen firsthand the life-saving difference UNFPA makes,” said Smith in the statement.
It was also shared that UNFPA requires over USD 308 million dollars this year to sustain essential services in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The statement, however, hoped that the US Government will continue to assist UNFPA to alleviate the conditions of women stuck in catastrophes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed on Wednesday that the country would continue funding international aid projects following a comprehensive review, even as most USAID staff face temporary leave.
Speaking during a visit to Guatemala, Rubio said that the Trump administration had reluctantly ordered the widespread recall of USAID’s overseas staff.
“We will now take a bottom-up approach to determine which programs should receive special designation and exemption,” Rubio told reporters, as reported by AFP. He reiterated that USAID had not been responsive to the administration’s requests for a funding review.