When Shahnaz went into labour, her husband Abdul called a taxi to take them to the only medical facility accessible to them. She was in a lot of pain, he says. A 20-minute drive away, the clinic was in Shesh Pol village in Afghanistan's north-eastern Badakhshan province. It was where their two older children were born. Abdul sat next to Shahnaz comforting her as they drove over gravel tracks to reach help. But when we reached the clinic, we saw that it was closed. I didn't know it had shut down, he said, his face crumpling with agony.
*Warning: Readers may find some details in this article distressing.*
The clinic in Shesh Pol is one of more than 400 medical facilities that closed down in Afghanistan after the Trump administration cut nearly all US aid to the country earlier this year, following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
A single-storey structure with four small rooms, white paint peeling off its walls, the Shesh Pol clinic had USAID posters tacked up everywhere with information and guidance for pregnant women and new mothers. In Badakhshan's mountainous terrain, where limited access has historically led to high maternal mortality rates, the clinic was a life-saving resource with a trained midwife and stock of medicines.
With no other options, Abdul and Shahnaz returned home. A few hours later, Shahnaz delivered their baby girl in the car. Tragically, both Shahnaz and the baby died. I wept and screamed. My wife and child could've been saved if the clinic was open, said Abdul. This dire situation underscores the profound effects of US aid cuts in Afghanistan, as women face increasingly perilous circumstances during childbirth.
The Taliban's restrictions, especially the ban on women in healthcare education, compound the crisis, leaving communities without trained personnel to assist with deliveries. Abdul's heartbreak illustrates an urgent call for international attention to the consequences these funding decisions impose on vulnerable populations, especially women in dire need of healthcare. As Afghanistan grapples with the aftermath of such political decisions, the stories of families like Abdul's highlight the severe repercussions faced by women and their children in rural areas.
*Warning: Readers may find some details in this article distressing.*
The clinic in Shesh Pol is one of more than 400 medical facilities that closed down in Afghanistan after the Trump administration cut nearly all US aid to the country earlier this year, following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
A single-storey structure with four small rooms, white paint peeling off its walls, the Shesh Pol clinic had USAID posters tacked up everywhere with information and guidance for pregnant women and new mothers. In Badakhshan's mountainous terrain, where limited access has historically led to high maternal mortality rates, the clinic was a life-saving resource with a trained midwife and stock of medicines.
With no other options, Abdul and Shahnaz returned home. A few hours later, Shahnaz delivered their baby girl in the car. Tragically, both Shahnaz and the baby died. I wept and screamed. My wife and child could've been saved if the clinic was open, said Abdul. This dire situation underscores the profound effects of US aid cuts in Afghanistan, as women face increasingly perilous circumstances during childbirth.
The Taliban's restrictions, especially the ban on women in healthcare education, compound the crisis, leaving communities without trained personnel to assist with deliveries. Abdul's heartbreak illustrates an urgent call for international attention to the consequences these funding decisions impose on vulnerable populations, especially women in dire need of healthcare. As Afghanistan grapples with the aftermath of such political decisions, the stories of families like Abdul's highlight the severe repercussions faced by women and their children in rural areas.
