UN Warns 500 Afghan Health Centers Face Closure Amid U.S. Aid Cuts

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned that U.S. funding cuts of $102 million will force the closure of 500 health centers in Afghanistan, depriving 6.9 million women and children of critical care, Khaama Press reported.

The reduction, part of a broader $330 million cut to global UNFPA budgets, threatens mobile clinics and maternal health programs in a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.

UNFPA Executive Director Andrew Saberton, speaking in New York after visiting clinics in Kabul, Bamiyan, and border regions, called the cuts “devastating,” emphasizing their disproportionate impact on rural and vulnerable groups. The closures would leave millions without access to prenatal care, psychological support, and emergency services.

The U.S. decision comes as Afghanistan grapples with ongoing humanitarian crises, including malnutrition and infectious disease outbreaks. Saberton stressed that UNFPA would maintain operations but warned of “severely limited” capacity to meet rising needs.

Afghanistan’s healthcare system, heavily reliant on foreign aid, faces collapse without sustained funding. The UN urges the international community to bridge the gap, noting that 900 clinics—over half—risk shuttering.