• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Funding
    • Funding

    Trump administration cuts all future US funding to UNFPA

    The U.N. Population Fund has attributed the loss of funding from its second largest donor to the false claim that it supports work in coercive abortions and forced sterilizations in China.

    By Amy Lieberman // 04 April 2017
    Women line up at the Kanungu Health Center IV to receive HIV and cervical cancer counselling and testing and to learn more about available family planning services in Uganda. Photo by: UNFPA / CC BY-NC-ND

    President Donald Trump has cut all future funding to the United Nations Population Fund, costing the U.N. family planning, sexual and reproductive health agency its second largest supporter and donor.

    The announcement, which was expected as early as last week and had been widely anticipated since Trump’s election, came Monday evening, as a U.S. State Department memo citing the Kemp-Kasten amendment was made public.

    See more related stories:

    ► Is PEPFAR a Trump budget winner? Not so fast…

    ► Amb. Birx on PEPFAR in the Trump era

    ► UN calls for continued engagement as Trump budget aims to slash funding

    ► Trump issues first guidelines on 'global gag rule' implementation

    The Kemp-Kasten amendment — first enacted in 1985 and previously used by other Republican presidents — prohibits foreign aid to an organization that is involved in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

    The State Department letter, dated March 30, 2017, provides some information on the history of the Chinese government’s state-sponsored family planning program — which is known as the One-Child Policy and has been phased out — as well as statements on how the UNFPA works closely with the Chinese government.

    As Devex reported yesterday, while the UNFPA has a program in China, it does not do work that involves abortions, or sterilizations, let alone procedures that are not voluntary.

    In a statement issued early Tuesday morning, UNFPA said that they regretted the funding decision, based on the “erroneous claim that UNFPA ‘supports, or participates in the management of, a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization’ in China.

    “UNFPA refutes this claim, as all of its work promotes the human rights of individuals and couples to make their own decisions, free of coercion or discrimination. Indeed, United Nations Member States have long described UNFPA’s work in China as a force for good,” the statement read.

    Women’s health, human rights and U.N. observer organizations quickly denounced the decision.

    “The U.S. is one of the largest contributors to the UNFPA, and eliminating U.S. funds threatens the health and rights of millions of girls and women around the world, particularly those in crisis situations,” U.N. Foundation President and CEO Kathy Calvin said in a statement Monday evening.

    “UNFPA does not fund or perform abortions or forced sterilizations anywhere in the world. Instead, the agency offers voluntary family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies which, in turn, empowers girls and women to pursue an education, earn an income, and live more prosperous lives.”

    The U.S. contributed upwards of $69 million to the UNFPA each year, considering a combination of “core” and “non-core” resources.

    The Trump administration is currently pushing forward a broad swath of budget cuts that have hit foreign aid spending especially hard, as it seeks to boost investment in the military. The move has met widespread opposition from Democrats and some senior Republicans.

    Stay tuned to Devex for more news and analysis of what the Trump administration means for global development. Read more coverage here and subscribe to The Development Newswire.

    • Funding
    • United States
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Amy Lieberman

      Amy Liebermanamylieberman

      Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.

    Search for articles

    Related Jobs

    • Head of Mission (Ukraine)
      Kyiv, Ukraine | Ukraine | Eastern Europe
    • Donor Relations Specialist
      Fairfax, Virginia, United States | Virginia, United States | United States | North America
    • Bid Protest Reviewer - Retainer (Specialist)
      United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
      Denmark | Western Europe
    • See more

    Most Read

    • 1
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 2
      Strengthening health systems by measuring what really matters
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      Reigniting momentum for maternal, newborn, and child health
    • 5
      Opinion: Why vision is key to unlocking global development potential

    Trending

    Financing for Development Conference

    The Trump Effect

    Newsletters

    Related Stories

    The Trump EffectTrump administration pokes panda over UN population policy

    Trump administration pokes panda over UN population policy

    The Trump EffectUNFPA and the human fallout of US aid cuts: A $335 million gap

    UNFPA and the human fallout of US aid cuts: A $335 million gap

    Devex NewswireDevex Newswire: Trump’s 2026 budget slashes more than $30B from foreign aid

    Devex Newswire: Trump’s 2026 budget slashes more than $30B from foreign aid

    The future of US aidTrump’s UN pick pinpoints agencies to support — and to walk away from

    Trump’s UN pick pinpoints agencies to support — and to walk away from

    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement