Fwd: Restore Funding for UNFPA

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert (robert)]

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Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 18:23:51 -0500
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Message-Id: <199903042323.http://www.outreach.edf.org/~SAA10345>

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To: robert
From:	Brian Dixon, ZPG Director of Government Relations
Re:	Action Needed to Restore Funding for UNFPA
Date:	March 4, 1999

Legislation to restore U.S. funding for the United Nations 
Population Fund (UNFPA) was introduced on Tuesday, March 2 
by a bipartisan group of men and women, led by Reps. Carolyn 
Maloney (D-NY) and Connie Morella (R-MD), in the House of 
Representatives.    Last October, anti-family planning 
radicals in Congress torpedoed all UNFPA support for 1999. 

This single, devastating act by Congress deprived 870,000 
women from access to contraceptives and reproductive health 
services, resulting in 1,200 maternal and 22,500 infant 
deaths, 15,000 life-threatening illnesses and injuries to 
mothers during pregnancy and childbirth, 500,000 unwanted 
pregnancies, 234,000 unwanted births, and 200,000 abortions.

The Maloney - Morella legislation calls for a U.S. 
contribution of $25 million in the year 2000 - the same 
amount that President Clinton has requested in his budget - 
and $35 million in 2001.  UNFPA is one of the largest multi-
lateral source of funding for population programs in the 
world.  Working in 160 countries, UNFPA provides voluntary 
family planning services and other critical health care to 
millions of women.  It is critical that the United States 
continue to support this agency which has increased access 
to contraceptives and has improved the lives of people all 
over the world.

Please take a moment to contact your representative and ask 
that he/she support the UNFPA Funding Act.  On March 8th and 
9th, more than one hundred members of ZPG and other groups 
concerned with global population issues will be personally 
visiting members of Congress, urging support for this bill. 
Add your voice this effort by responding today.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Chen at ZPG by 
phone at 1-800-767-1956, or by e-mail at http://www.zpg.org/~achen

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<<begin fax>>	

I am writing to urge you to support or co-sponsor the bill 
to reinstate funding for the United Nations Population Fund 
(UNFPA).  

UNFPA works to provide voluntary family planning assistance 
in 160 countries, giving millions of women around the world 
access to contraceptives and maternal health care.  Last 
year, Congress eliminated all funding for this important 
program.  This single, devastating act by Congress deprived 
870,000 women from access to contraceptives and reproductive 
health services, resulting in1,200 maternal and 22,500 
infant deaths, 15,000 life-threatening illnesses and 
injuries to mothers during pregnancy and childbirth, 500,000 
unwanted pregnancies, 234,000 unwanted births, and 200,000 
abortions. 

The loss of this funding has only punished poor women and 
families in other developing countries.  Many of these 
countries are already unable to meet the most basic needs of 
their people and have a population that will double in less 
than thirty years.  The elimination of funding was 
ostensibly intended to punish China for abuses in one-child 
policy.  The fact is, however, that UNFPA has never been 
involved in any coercive practices, and the new China 
program requires the elimination of all vestiges of the one-
child policy in any area that UNFPA operates.  This is 
exactly the type of action that the U.S. should be 
supporting, not punishing.

I hope you will join in supporting the UNFPA Funding Act.  
The evidence is very clear; family planning saves lives of 
women and children.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to 
hearing from you on this subject.

Sincerely,

robert

 

Cc: The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House.

<<end fax>>


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