New York, UNITED NATIONS – The European Union and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, have signed a new agreement to safeguard women’s and girls’ health in Afghanistan over the next three years.
This new €15 million (US$17 million) contribution to UNFPA’s work will focus on protecting the health and well-being of midwives, women and young people across eight provinces in Afghanistan to avert preventable maternal deaths and ensure access to healthcare for the most vulnerable amid the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The signing took place at the European Union Delegation in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly between European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.
Since 2021, Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis has worsened dramatically, particularly for women and girls. Over 23.7 million people – more than half the country’s population – are now in urgent need of protection and survival assistance.
Restrictions imposed on women’s rights have reversed years of progress, making it even harder for women to access essential health services. This has exacerbated an already dire maternal health crisis: Even before 2021, one Afghan woman died every hour from pregnancy-related complications.
