Suspension of US funds 'dire' issue, says UN official

The US suspension of funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a “dire” issue, according to the UN agency’s representative in Turkiye.

In an interview with Anadolu, Mariam A. Khan explained the impact of the US fund suspension on UNFPA activities in Turkiye as well as war-torn Gaza and Ukraine.

Khan stressed that the agency is “trying to deal with the implications of the current suspension of the US funding.”

“Traditionally, the US government has been a longstanding partner and supporter of the work of UNFPA. Globally, they’re almost 50 per cent of the humanitarian funding of UNFPA,” she said.

In Gaza, which has been battered by a 15-month onslaught by Israel, services supported by the agency for nearly 50,000 pregnant women are now on hold, Khan said, stressing the emergency services that helped save lives and ensure safe pregnancies and deliveries.

Khan added that in Ukraine, nearly three years into a Russian war on its territory, about 640,000 women, girls and people in need of protection from violence had been benefiting from the agency’s protection services, which have also been suspended.

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Pointing to the millions of people affected in war-torn Gaza and Ukraine, Khan described the suspension of UNFPA funds as “extremely dire.”

She expressed appreciation for other donors and partners for their contribution, calling on other public and private sector partners, cities and governments to help meet essential needs.

Syria and Turkiye

The UN official added that 60 per cent of UNFPA’s humanitarian aid efforts for Syrian refugees and victims of the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Turkiye were funded by the US, making the impact of the suspension significant.

She stressed that they are doing their best thanks to support from other donors, including Japan, South Korea, and Turkish companies.

Khan said discussions of the suspension are being handled by UNFPA headquarters, emphasising the importance of media support in ensuring the continuation of these services.

The cuts come amid efforts by the Trump administration to eliminate USAID, which funds humanitarian programs around the world, as well as other services that help people both in the US and beyond.

Critics say that Trump’s executive branch unilaterally cutting off funding is illegal, as shutting off the money or eliminating a government agency requires an act of the US Congress.

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