The decision by United States of America (USA) President Donald Trump to pull out support on activities promoting abortion has hurt the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as it has been cornered to be supporting abortion in China.
Trump’s administration announced that it will pull out support on organizations that promote abortion. Months after the announcement, UNFPA has become a victim after it was reportedly supporting abortion and involuntary sterilization in China.
On March 30, 2017, the Administration informed Congress of its intention to cut the funding to UNFPA, saying those funds would instead go towards other family planning, maternal and reproductive health activities.
Speaking to members of the press in Lilongwe on Tuesday, UNFPA country representative in Malawi Dan Odalla said they hope to work with US government on other projects despite the decision.
“Even though we are not affected directly we feel that we will continue working together and corroborate on other projects and we hope the decision will be revised,” said Odalla.
Established in 1969 UNFPA’s work involves the improvement of reproductive health; including creation of national strategies and protocols, and providing supplies and services.
The organization has recently been known for its worldwide campaign against obstetric fistula and female genital mutilation.
The UNFPA supports programs in more than 150 countries, territories and areas spread across four geographic regions: Arab States and Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. Around three quarters of its staff work in the field.
Trump does great harm to the US’ reputation and to the women of the world by defunding the UN Population Fund. The American people are reaching out to the world’s women with http://www.34millionfriends.org of UNFPA. I am co-founder. We’ve been going since 2002 when George W. Bush did the same thing. Please send the web site to all your American friends.