Of the 100 million people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world, about 26 million are women and adolescent girls in their childbearing years, the United Nations Populations Fund has said in its State of World Population report for this year titled ‘Shelter from the Storm’ released recently.
What is worse is that this year essential health needs of women remains neglected after natural disasters and conflicts even though whether women and girls live or die in a crisis often depends on access to basic sexual and reproductive health services like midwives and HIV prevention, says the report.
More than 100 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2015, up from 88 million in 2014 and 78 million in 2013. About a quarter of them, 25 million, are women and adolescent girls of childbearing age of 15 to 49.
According to the State of World Population, three-fifth of maternal deaths occur in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict or disaster; pregnancy and childbirth kill 507 women everyday in these settings.
UNFPA executive director Babatune Osotimehin in a statement said, “The health and rights of women and adolescents should not be treated like an afterthought in humanitarian response. For the pregnant women who are about to deliver a child or adolescent girls who have survived sexual violence, life-saving services are as vital as water, food and shelter.”
The report notes that without the uninterrupted sexual and reproductive health services and usual protection of family and community, women and adolescent girls can face increased risks of maternal mortality and morbidity, and may become victims of sexual violence, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Toshihiro Tanaka, UNFPA deputy representative said, “UNFPA has been working with the National and various State Disaster Management Authorities and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in integrating the needs and agenda of women and girls into disaster management plans through Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP).
It is critical to focus on our efforts on preparedness and capacity building before a disaster strikes”.
UNFPA’s report has called on Governments, development and humanitarian communities everywhere in to move health and rights of women and girls, and in particular their sexual and reproductive health, from the backseat to the forefront of the transformative agenda, as per the statement.