In Afghanistan’s remote Daikundi province, US aid cuts have left pregnant women without access to care, forcing many to give birth at home in a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. The cuts have led to the suspension or closure of 422 health facilities nationwide, including small community clinics staffed by a single midwife, many of whom are now working without salary or supplies. This crisis compounds an already critical situation under Taliban rule; girls are banned from education beyond primary school, preventing a new generation from training as health workers.
In a time when independent photojournalism is increasingly vulnerable, donations from people like you give us the ability to work globally with photographers who believe in the power of photography to inspire change. Support World Press Photo today.
2026 Photo Contest - West, Central, and South Asia - Stories
“I’m Afraid”: Afghan Women Face US Aid Cuts
Photographer
Elise Blanchard
for Time
Shutter Speed
1/100
ISO
800
Camera
Z6_3
Jury comment
This story provides a timely and impactful look at the consequences of US aid cuts and Taliban rule on maternal health and child morbidity in Afghanistan, highlighting the human cost of the withdrawal of aid from the healthcare sector in a collapsing economy. Through strong, sensitively executed images, the photographer shows, with dignity, the determination of affected women and the midwives who care for them. The work offers a fresh perspective and insight into an urgent news story as it continues to unfold.