Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL — The heartbreaking cries of mothers mourning their children echo through the overcrowded wards of Afghanistan’s hospitals, where life-saving care has become increasingly scarce following drastic cuts to U.S. humanitarian aid.
A recent CNN investigation reveals that since the Trump administration’s sweeping decision to halt billions in aid—including the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—Afghan health facilities are struggling to provide even the most basic care. Mohammad Omar, a one-year-old boy admitted to Nangarhar Regional Hospital with severe malnutrition and meningitis, is among many whose death doctors say was likely accelerated by the withdrawal of U.S. funding.
Doctors at Nangarhar Regional Hospital report a 3 to 4 percent increase in infant mortality rates since the aid cuts took effect earlier this year. The shutdown forced patients to pay out of pocket for medicines they cannot afford, while the closure of hundreds of rural clinics has pushed thousands to travel longer distances to already overwhelmed hospitals. Neonatal wards are crammed, with multiple infants forced to share single cribs amid scorching heat.
Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, Afghanistan’s fragile health system has relied heavily on nearly $8 billion in humanitarian aid, about half of which came from the U.S. through USAID. These funds supported essential services such as emergency food assistance, maternal and child healthcare, agricultural development, and education programs—many of which have now been canceled. The consequences have been swift and severe.
“We have seen clinics shut down, deliveries taking place at home without skilled midwives, and a sharp rise in preventable deaths,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, advocacy director for Save the Children Afghanistan. “More women and children will die because of these cuts.”
The Taliban government, recognized by only one country since 2021, claims to manage without foreign aid, but many Afghans face dire poverty and lack access to basic healthcare. A community elder near the now-closed Nangarhar clinic told CNN that at least seven people have died since its shutdown, including a woman and her newborn who died during childbirth at home due to lack of medical assistance.
U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have insisted that no deaths are attributable to the aid cuts, asserting that foreign assistance will be administered more efficiently through the State Department. However, aid has yet to be reinstated, and global experts warn the fallout is catastrophic: the Lancet estimates over 14 million people worldwide could die in the next five years due to these funding cuts, including nearly five million children under five.
Inside Afghanistan, women are disproportionately affected, with Taliban restrictions severely limiting their access to healthcare, education, and employment. The International Criminal Court recently issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders, citing crimes against humanity linked to the persecution of women and girls.
A psychiatrist in northern Afghanistan, who lost her USAID-funded job, shared the tragic story of a teenage girl under her care who died by suicide after losing access to counseling and medication.
On the ground in Nangarhar, midwives continue their work in barely functioning hospitals, often replacing the sheets on the beds where children like Mohammad Omar have died—making way for the next desperate family seeking help.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers pushing to halt aid to Afghanistan argue American taxpayers should not fund a regime they label terrorists. But as the humanitarian crisis deepens, the devastating human cost of these political decisions becomes impossible to ignore.
