A look at the devastating impact of USAID cuts in rural Afghanistan

Since the Trump administration's cut of foreign aid 18 months ago, Afghanistan has faced devastating consequences, particularly in rural areas. Refugees International attributes over 160 deaths to these cuts during this period. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen and videographer Eric O Connor present a report on the impact of these funding reductions, which have left remote villages without access to essential medical assistance.

In the remote mountainous region of rural Herat, a community once served by rural and mobile clinics and feeding services funded by USAID now lacks any such support. Abdul Rahman, a beloved father, husband, and brother, died after collapsing and struggling to breathe. Despite his brother's call for help, medical assistance did not arrive in time, as the clinic advised them to handle it themselves.

Abdul Rahman's death marked the beginning of a series of tragic losses in the community, where women struggle to find sufficient nutrition for themselves and their children.

Simagul, a bereaved mother, lost her son Fahim due to malnutrition and lack of medical care. Unable to reach a government hospital, she had to find a male chaperone and a motorcycle to take her sick child miles away, by which time Fahim had already collapsed. With her husband away in Iran, she faced immense challenges in securing treatment for her child.

Simagul's other children, too, succumbed to the same fate due to malnutrition and bacterial infections, leaving her heartbroken. She now awaits the birth of her fifth child, fearing for its life. Yeganeh, a 21-year-old mother who has lost five children, prays for her unborn baby's survival, begging for proper medical care in this dire situation.