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UN Urges Washington to Reconsider Aid - UN Finance - Global Policy Forum
UN Urges Washington to Reconsider Aid
By The Associated Press
New York Times UN Urges Washington to Reconsider Aid The UN agency which helps poor countries reduce population by promoting women's education and health care urged the United States on Tuesday to reconsider its decision to withhold $34 million on grounds that UN programs promote abortion.
March 12, 2002The lack of support from the Bush administration comes at a critical time, when many countries need funds to make a transition to having smaller families in which children can not only survive but receive better education, UN population experts said. ``We are very concerned and we hope that the US will come back next year,'' said Stirling Scruggs, spokesman for the UN Population Fund, or UNFPA.
Bush blocked $34 million in funds appropriated by Congress for UNFPA in July. Two months later the president formally shifted the money to an American-run program to boost children's health overseas. UNFPA has said the US contribution would have helped prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and 77,000 infant and child deaths.
Scruggs denied that UNFPA promotes abortion in poor countries or advocates its use as a family planning tool. ``UNFPA does not support abortion services, although we do provide support for people suffering the consequences of unsafe abortion,'' he said.
Jeffrey Sachs, a Colombia University economics professor and UN adviser, said the Bush administration must realize that cutting aid to poorer nations could jeopardize Washington's security agenda and its goal of fighting terrorism.
``There's a growing recognition in American politics that poverty alleviation is part of a national security need and strategy for the United States and for other countries as well,'' Sachs told reporters at a news conference launching the fund's annual report.
``I hope the administration will take a realistic view of what are the best ways to achieve poverty alleviation,'' he said. Poverty, poor health and fertility remain highest in the least developed countries, where the population has tripled since 1955 and is expected to nearly triple again over the next 50 years, according to the ``State of World Population 2002'' report. According to the report, around 18.9 percent of the world's population in1980 lived in absolute poverty.
Scruggs, the UNFPA spokesman, said the US withdrawal took away 12.5 percent of the organization's annual budget for 2002 and forced it to cut staff and programs worldwide. He said about one-third of the shortfall was met by increased contributions from European nations.
The US administration insisted earlier this year that the UN Population Fund money was being used illegally by Chinese agencies that carry out forced abortions and sterilizations. But the 2002 report found no evidence that the UN fund has ``knowingly supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization'' in China.
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