When a fourth consecutive 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan one year ago today, UNFPA was on the ground working tirelessly to ensure that essential health care services are integrated into emergency responses.

But long before earthquakes devastated Afghanistan last year, UNFPA was supporting critical health services, including midwives like Mariza.

Mariza had only been a midwife in Afghanistan for a year when the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021. Life for millions of Afghans — especially for women and girls — were upended overnight.

“I was worried, but I couldn’t leave because people needed our services — pregnant women were worried about where to deliver as health facilities were closing, so I didn’t close the family health house” Mariza told us. It was a brave decision, but one that saved lives.

“If I had left, a mother or a baby could have died. I stayed because people, especially pregnant women, needed my support.”

Public health workers were severely affected by the takeover, as hospitals and clinics were either forced to close or rendered non-functional, while their staff could no longer make it to work safely. These conditions make the continued work of midwives like Mariza even more heroic.

Since 2021, UNFPA-supported clinics have helped more than 5 million Afghans access critical health services, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

But Afghanistan urgently needs an additional 18,000 midwives to meet the growing demands.

Will you rush a gift to support midwives delivering lifesaving care in crisis zones like Afghanistan and wherever your help is needed most?

Thank you for not looking away from these women and girls.

Sincerely,

Anu Surendran
Chief Executive Officer
USA for UNFPA