US defunds UNFPA for third consecutive year- on misconceived assumptions

Bangladesh, July 20 -- The Trump administration, in its continued hostility towards the United Nations- and as part of its policy aimed at undermining multilateral institutions and international commitments- has withheld its annual contributions to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) - for the third consecutive year.

The three-year annual cuts, which began in 2017, amounts to an estimated total of $210 million.

The defunding of UNFPA follows recent US decisions to slash its contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) by $300 million and cut the UN's biennium peacekeeping budget by $500 million-primarily for political and ideological reasons.

The Trump administration, which vociferously opposes abortion nation-wide, has made unprov...