U.N. Secretary-General Guterres Denounces U.S. Defunding Of UNFPA; U.S. Belief Agency Supports Coercive Abortion, Sterilization In China ‘Erroneous,’ UNFPA Says

Agence France-Presse: U.S. funding cut to UNFPA could be devastating for women: Guterres
“The U.S. decision to cut funding to the U.N. Population Fund is based on an inaccurate perception and could be devastating for the health of women and girls worldwide, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday…” (4/4).

BBC News: U.S. withdraws funding for United Nations Population Fund
“The U.S. says it is withdrawing funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency that promotes family planning in more than 150 countries. The State Department says the agency supports or participates in a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in China. But the UNFPA says this is an ‘erroneous claim,’ and that its work does not break any U.S. laws…” (4/4).

Deutsche Welle: U.S. cuts funding to U.N. family planning body
“…The move comes after President Donald Trump in January reinstated an expanded version of the so-called ‘global gag’ rule…” (4/4).

The Guardian: Trump administration halts money to U.N. population fund over abortion rules
“…Following weeks of speculation, a letter to Bob Corker, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced the State Department was dropping the funding because the UNFPA ‘supports, or participates in the management of, a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.’ The cut provoked a storm of outrage and anger with activists attacking what they call Trump’s ‘anti-women agenda’…” (Ford/Khomami, 4/4).

Humanosphere: U.S. defunds U.N. Population Fund, cutting health services to 9 million people
“…According to estimates from the U.N. Foundation, the loss of funding for just one year will prevent the delivery of services, including sexual and reproductive health assistance and gender-based violence counseling, to nine million people in humanitarian settings…” (Nikolau, 4/4).

Newsweek: U.S. Cuts $32 Million in Funding to U.N. Family Planning Agency
“…The UNFPA rejected the allegations and said it ‘regrets the decision’ by the United States to pull the funding, which amounts to $32.5 million for the 2017 financial year. The money will be transferred to the U.S. Global Health Programs account to support family planning, maternal, and reproductive health activities in developing countries…” (Gaffey, 4/4).

NPR: Citing Abortions In China, Trump Cuts Funds For U.N. Family Planning Agency
“…At a press conference, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric predicted the funding loss ‘could have devastating effects on the health of vulnerable women and girls and their families around the world.’ The ramifications would mainly be felt in countries other than China since UNFPA’s spending there has actually dwindled to minimal levels in recent years…” (Aizenman, 4/4).

U.N. News Centre: U.S. funding cuts to U.N. population agency based on ‘inaccurate perception’ — U.N. chief
“…Mr. Guterres, who was previously the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said that he saw first-hand the life-saving character of UNFPA, which is active in more than 150 countries and territories. ‘He appeals to donors to increase their support for UNFPA to allow it to continue its critical work during this difficult period,’ [a] spokesperson said…” (4/4).

Vox: Women and children last: Trump strips global family planning organization of U.S. funds
“…It’s not the first time the U.S. has defunded the UNFPA. The George W. Bush administration similarly cited Kemp-Kasten to strip funding in 2002, claiming UNFPA was complicit in forced sterilizations and abortions as part of China’s one-child policy. … Like the global gag rule (or ‘Mexico City policy’), which denies [non U.S.] global health organizations the right to even discuss abortion as a condition for receiving U.S. aid money, defunding the UNFPA is done, traditionally, by Republican administrations catering to a conservative base. Democratic presidents — including President Obama in 2009 — typically reinstate the funding…” (Wildman, 4/4).

Washington Post: Trump administration to eliminate its funding for U.N. Population Fund over abortion
“…The cuts to UNFPA are the first of many the administration has said it expects to make in funding to the United Nations and its agencies. The State Department said its determination, which was made last week, was based on China’s family planning policies that ‘still involve the use of coercive abortion and involuntarily sterilization, and UNFPA partners on family planning activities with the Chinese government agency responsible for these coercive policies.’ It specifically cited population-control measures known initially as the ‘one-child policy’ limiting how many children a woman may have. Chinese policy was amended a year ago to raise the birth limit to two children for a married couple, or three with official permission…” (Morello, 4/4).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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