from Rachel at AlterNet

No Funding for Women Around the World
The Bush Administration decided this past week to withhold all $34 million of congressionally approved funding for the United Nations Population Fund. The fund is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs.This is the third year in a row the administration has blocked the funding. According to Women's ENews, the U.N. agency estimates the $34 million could have helped prevent as many as two million unwanted pregnancies and nearly 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and over 77,000 infant and child deaths around the world. The money would also have been used to improve maternal health and HIV-prevention efforts. Timothy E. Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, said in a statement that the decision "is a great disappointment to everyone who cares about women's health, maternal mortality, and HIV/AIDS prevention, and, frankly, to all of us who are concerned about the international cooperation as well as America's reputation in the world." He added that the United States is the only country ever to block funding to the U.N. agency for political reasons. Posted by Rachel on July 20, 2004 @ 12:35PM.