In response to the freezing of "nearly all US foreign aid programs" the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) "has suspended services funded by US grants," even though they "provide a lifeline for women and girls in crises." Pio Smith, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency's regional director for Asia and the Pacific, says the situation is particularly dramatic in Afghanistan, where a mother already dies from preventable pregnancy complications every two hours, making it one of the deadliest countries in the world for women to give birth. "Without UNFPA's support, even more lives will be lost," Smith tell reporters in Geneva. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES- COMPLETE VIDI36X37RX_EN