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In Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, Abdul's wife Shahnaz went into labor, but their local clinic in Shesh Pol village, funded by USAID, had shuttered following the Trump administration's abrupt withdrawal of nearly all US aid earlier this year.
The clinic, a lifeline in the mountainous region with historically high maternal mortality, assisted 25-30 deliveries monthly and provided basic healthcare.
Without it, Shahnaz delivered in a taxi by the roadside, bleeding profusely and dying shortly after, followed by their unnamed baby girl.
Abdul lamented, 'My wife and child could've been saved if the clinic was open.' This tragedy is part of a broader crisis; over 400 USAID facilities closed, affecting aid that comprised 43% of Afghanistan's total.
The US justified cuts citing concerns that funds benefited terrorist groups like the Taliban, with a SIGAR report claiming $10.9 million went to them via taxes and fees—denied by Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.
Taliban policies, especially women's restrictions, have deterred donors.
The BBC documented similar cases: Daulat Begi and Javhar died in childbirth, their babies survived; Gul Jan and her son Safiullah perished; Maidamo and her baby Karima died at home.
In Cawgani, Bahisa's baby Fakiha died post-home birth.
Faizabad's hospital is overwhelmed, with 300-305 patients in 120 beds, maternal deaths potentially rising 50% this year, newborn deaths up a third.
Budget cuts from $80,000 to $25,000 annually exacerbate shortages.
Taliban bans on women's education, including midwifery training, worsen the crisis.
Students like Anya and Karishma, midway through training, face depression.
Shaheen called it an 'internal issue.' These deaths, unrecorded, underscore aid cuts' human cost in a country where women's health access is gravely restricted.