The BBC investigates the death of Afghan mother after the US aid cut.

When Shahnaz began his labor, her husband Abdul called a taxi and took it to the only medical facility that could access them.

“She is in a lot of pain,” he said.

At a 20 -minute distance, this clinic was located in SHESH Pol Village in the northeastern Afghanistan. It was where two older children were born.

Abdul sat next to Shana and drove on the gravel track and comforted her when he helped.

“But when we arrived at the clinic, we saw it closed. I didn’t know it was closed.”

Warning: Readers can find painful details in this article.

SHESH POL’s clinic is one of more than 400 medical facilities closed in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world after the Trump administration cuts almost all US aid in the United States earlier this year, after the dismantling of the US International Development Institution (USAID), and suddenly moving in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world.

SHESH Pol Clinic, a single layer structure with four small rooms, and a white paint peeling off the wall, has a USAID poster in place with information and maps for pregnant women and new mothers.

It is invisible, but the lack of approach in Badakhshan’s mountain and unforgivable terrain has been a major cause of historically high maternity mortality, which is a critical life line, which is part of a broader program conducted during the US support government.

There was a trained midwives that helped 25-30 shipping every month. It was inventory of medicines and injections and provided basic medical services.

Other medical facilities are simply too far from Abdul’s village, and there was no risk of Shahnaz traveling on a bumpy road. Abdul also had no money to pay a longer journey. 1,000 Afghan ($ 14.65; £ 12.70) to rent a taxi, and about one quarter of the monthly income is 1/4 as a worker. So they decided to return home.

Abdul said, “But the baby was coming and we had to stop by the road.”

Shahnaz delivered a daughter to the car. After a while, she died and died. A few hours later, the baby died before she was nominated.

Abdul said, “I cried and screamed. If the clinic was open, my wife and child could be saved.” “We lived a hard life, but we lived together. I was always happy when I was with her.”

He doesn’t even have a picture of Shanaz to catch.

If the mother and the baby had been treated at the clinic, they would have survived. But without it, there was no opportunity in Afghanistan, emphasizing an irreversible impact of US aid cuts.

For decades, the United States has been the largest donor in Afghanistan, and in 2024, the US Fund accounts for 43%of all aids.

The Trump administration justified the withdrawal, saying that there is a reliable and long concern that terrorist groups, including the Taliban, who ruled the country, are benefiting. The US government also reported that at least $ 11 million is reported that it is “giving birth to Taliban or enriching.”

The report mentioned by the US State Department was conducted by the Afghanistan reconstructor (SIGAR). A USAID partner said that $ 10 million taxpayer funds were paid to Taliban-Controlled Government as “tax, fees, tariffs or utility.”

The Taliban government denies that the aid is in hand.

“This argument is not true. Aid is given to the United Nations, and local NGOs identify and distribute people who need help through them. The government is not involved.”

The Taliban government’s policies, especially the world’s most severe women, meant that they were still not recognized in most worlds after four years of power. It is also a major reason why donors are getting farther away from the country.

The United States claims that no one died due to the aid cut. The death of Shahnaz and her baby is not recorded anywhere. It’s not a lot of others.

The BBC documented at least 12 direct accounts in the area where the USAID support clinic was closed.

The villagers gathered around us, right next to the tomb of Shahnaz, pointed to the other two tombs. They said we all died in the last four months, Daulat Begi and Javhar. Their babies survived.

Not far from the cemetery, we met Khan Mohammad, a 36 -year -old Gul Jan five months ago. Their baby safiullah died three days later.

Khan Mohammad said, “I will go to the clinic for a checkup when I am pregnant, but it has been closed in the middle of pregnancy. There was a lot of pain and blood loss during delivery.” My children are always sad. No one can give them love of their mother. I miss her every day. We lived together sweet and lovely life together. “

It is about 5 hours by car from SHESH POL Cawgani gave birth to a baby karima, when a clinic supported by USAID, the sorrow of Ahmad Khan and Maidamo, showed us a room in the mud and clay.

“If the clinic was open, she would have survived, and even if she died, we wouldn’t have regretted knowing that the medical staff had done their best. Now we have regret and pain. The United States did this to us.”

Bahisa tells us how terrible it is to give birth at home in a few lanes in another house. Her three other children were born in the Cawgani clinic.

“I was so scared. In the clinic, we had midwives, medicines and injections. There was nothing at home and no painkillers. I had no pain. I felt as if my life was leaving my body. I was paralyzed.”

Her daughter, Fakiha, died three days after birth.

Due to the closure of the clinic in the village, the number of patients with maternity wards in major regional hospitals in the provincial capital PaBabad surged.

It is dangerous to get it through the dangerous landscape of Badakhshan. We delivered on the way to FAIZABAD and showed a terrible picture of a newborn baby with a throat before arriving at the hospital.

We visited the hospital in 2022, and this scene was unprecedented during this time.

Each bed had three women. Imagine that you were in labor or having a miscarriage, and even had a bed for you.

Zuhra Shewan, who had a legacy, had to endure.

“I was severely bleeding and there was no place to sit. It was really hard. When the bed was free, the woman could die with bleeding.”

Dr. Shafiq Hamdard, director of the hospital: “We have 120 beds in the hospital. Now we have admitted 300 ~ 305 people.”

While the patient’s load was swelling, the funds were also cut off.

Dr. Hamdard said, “Three years ago, our annual budget was $ 80,000, now we have $ 25,000.

Until August this year, maternal deaths were recorded last year. This means that the parent mortality rate can increase by 50%compared to last year.

Newborns’ death has already increased about one -third compared to the end of the year over the last four months.

Razia Hanifi, a midwives in the hospital, says she is tired. “I’ve been working for the last 20 years. This year is the hardest thing because of overcrowded, lack of resources and lack of skilled staff.”

However, the Taliban government’s restrictions on women are not strengthened. Three years ago, all higher education, including medical education, was banned for women. A year ago, in December 2024, training for midwives and female nurses was also banned.

In a cautious position, we met two girls in the middle when the training was closed. They did not want to be identified by fear of retaliation.

Anya (name change) said that when Taliban acquired, he is graduated from college. When they closed in December 2022, they started nursing training with midwives. It was the only way to get education and job.

“When it was forbidden, I was depressed. I was crying day and night, and I couldn’t eat. It’s a painful situation.”

Karishma said: “Afghanistan is already lacking midwives and nurses. If you do not receive more training, women will be given up at home and are in danger.”

We asked the Taliban government’s Suhail Shaheen how to justify the ban to effectively suppress access to the health of half of the population.

“This is our internal problem. This is our problem, how to handle, how to make a decision, this is internal. This depends on leadership. We will make a decision based on the needs of society.”

As it is accessible to medical services, it is seriously restricted by women in Afghanistan, the right to health, and the wave of crushed blow against life itself.

Additional Report, Photo and Video: Aakriti Thapar, Mahfouz Zubaide, Sanjay Gangully

The top image shows Abdul with her daughter and son in SHESH Pol.