US government under Trump denies deaths linked to foreign aid reductions, our Afghan visit indicates contrary findings
In recent times, the withdrawal of U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has brought about a significant crisis in the country's healthcare system, particularly impacting maternal and child health. This shift has left millions of Afghan women at risk of losing essential services and threatens to reverse years of progress in reducing maternal mortality.
Key consequences of these cuts include the loss of access to maternal healthcare for approximately nine million women, the closure of hundreds of clinics, an increase in maternal deaths and unintended pregnancies, and a reversal of health gains made since 2001.
Dr. Anidullah Samim, a pediatrician at Nangarhar Regional Hospital, has reported a surge in baby mortality rates by 3 to 4% since the U.S. funding cuts took effect. The hospital, which was previously supported by U.S. funding, is now overcrowded, with families huddling together and patients struggling to cover the costs of their own medicines.
The clinic in Nangarhar province, which was previously funded by the U.S., has closed, leaving the community without access to healthcare. This closure has reportedly resulted in at least seven deaths, including a woman and her baby who died during childbirth at home.
The situation in Afghanistan is further complicated by the country's economic instability and political turmoil, four years after the withdrawal of American and NATO troops. Only Russia recognizes the Taliban's government as legitimate, and the economy has crashed.
Women in Afghanistan are particularly vulnerable under the Taliban's rule, with many rights being stripped away and women almost entirely erased from public life. Under the Taliban's strict interpretations of Islamic law, women must veil their bodies, wear face coverings in public, cannot travel long distances without a male chaperone, cannot work in most public (and many private) spaces, cannot enter parks, gyms or salons, and cannot raise their voices in public.
The U.S. has ended funding for various programmes in Afghanistan, including online and underground education for girls, demining efforts, skills-based work programmes for women, agricultural development, cash and food handouts, and healthcare.
Representative Tim Burchett of the Republican Congress is spearheading the "No Tax Dollars For Terrorists Act," aiming to prevent U.S. funds from reaching the Taliban-run government. However, the U.S. government's own watchdog was able to track only $10.9 million going to the Taliban-run government between August 2021 and May 2023.
The International Criminal Court has sought arrest warrants for two of the top Taliban leaders, citing the persecution of women and girls as evidence of crimes against humanity. The closure of hundreds of clinics across the country has forced people to travel further distances to hospitals, which are reportedly overrun and under-resourced.
In the face of these challenges, the people of Afghanistan continue to struggle, with stories of loss and hardship echoing throughout the country. A woman in a floral dress was heard wailing in a malnutrition ward of a hospital in eastern Afghanistan, mourning the death of her 1-year-old son.
The future of Afghanistan's healthcare system and the lives of millions of its people hang in the balance as the nation grapples with the aftermath of U.S. aid cuts and the ongoing political and economic instability.
- The world is observing a significant crisis in Afghanistan's healthcare system, predominantly affecting maternal and child health.
- These healthcare crises have left millions of Afghan women at risk of losing necessary services, jeopardizing years of progress in decreasing maternal mortality.
- Approximately nine million women in Afghanistan have lost access to maternal healthcare.
- Overcrowding and patients struggling to pay for medications are common at hospitals like Nangarhar Regional Hospital.
- The closure of clinics has resulted in at least seven reported deaths, including a mother and her baby.
- Afghanistan's economic instability and political turmoil have worsened the healthcare crisis.
- Women's rights are severely limited under the Taliban's rule, with nearly no female presence in public life.
- The Taliban's strict Islamic laws require women to veil their bodies, cover their faces, and travel with male chaperones.
- Various U.S. funding programs, including education, demining, work programs, agricultural development, and healthcare, have been halted in Afghanistan.
- U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett introduced the "No Tax Dollars For Terrorists Act" to prevent funding from reaching the Taliban-run government.
- The International Criminal Court has pursued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity against women and girls.
- Hospitals across Afghanistan are overrun and under-resourced, forcing people to travel longer distances for healthcare.
- The country's political and economic instability is endangering the lives of millions of Afghans and the future of their healthcare system.
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