Kabul Aid Survey Notes Threats to Afghan Women; PRI: Basic Health Needs Not Being Met

8/14/2002

From: Scott Weinberg of Population Research Institute, 540-622-5240, ext. 209; Web: http://www.pop.org E-mail: scott@pop.org

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 14 -- Population Research Institute (PRI) associates in Afghanistan have discovered that U.N. population control efforts threaten Afghan women, Afghan laws, and undercut American aid operations.

Last June, an Afghan-based NGO surveyed 150 women in Kabul, and surrounding areas, to determine the needs of the Afghan female population.

Many of the women interviewed had just returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan. They reported abortion campaigns led by United Nations-funded aid organizations operating inside refugee camps.

Twenty-five percent of the women returning from Pakistan reported that were subjected to abortion or sterilization in refugee camps. Abortion procedures, performed after "birth defects" were allegedly detected, included surgical abortions during the third trimester. Sterilizations were performed on women who reported to reproductive health workers any history of birth defects; 239 still births and 499 live births were reported.

Not one woman surveyed stated that abortion or contraception services were wanted or needed. Basic medical care -- pre- and neo-natal care -- was not available either in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but greatly needed.

In order of priority, the women reported a need for: Emergency food distribution; Clean water programs; Immunization programs; Natural family planning education; Pregnancy education; Vocational training programs, and Child malnutrition assessment.

The survey is accompanied by a report which notes that international organizations supported by the United Nations provide "population control" services readily, funding several large international organizations for population control. The UN appears to be highly funded, and its agency, the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), is seen as suspect by Afghan officials because of its lack of commitment to basic health care, and its history of promoting morning-after pills in Pakistan.

Afghan abortion laws mandate a seven-year prison term for each abortion performed. According to strict and clear guidelines promulgated by the Ministry of Justice, this same law would apply to anyone who has prescribed "morning-after pills" in Afghanistan.

It is noteworthy that even USAID funding has been misused by U.N.-related NGOs to attack American humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.

The Population Research Institute is committed to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning."