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Essential women's health needs often neglected in humanitarian responses
Humanitarian mission: Search and rescue officials recover bodies of victims killed in a landslide incident
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Humanitarian mission: Search and rescue officials recover bodies of victims killed in a landslide incident. Geographically, Indonesia is a country prone to natural disasters. (Tempo) (Tempo)
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span class="inline inline-center">Humanitarian mission: Search and rescue officials recover bodies of victims killed in a landslide incident. Geographically, Indonesia is a country prone to natural disasters. (Tempo)
A new report released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reveals that the health needs of women and adolescents are too often neglected in humanitarian responses to natural disasters and conflict around the world.
The State of World Population report for 2015, titled 'Shelter from the Storm', highlights how sexual and reproductive health care services are critical to the health and survival of women and adolescents, though in many cases, the services are unavailable at the time they are needed most.
About 26 million out of 100 million people who need humanitarian assistance around the world today are women and adolescent girls in their childbearing years, the annual report shows.
'For a pregnant woman who is about to deliver, or an adolescent girl who has survived sexual violence, life-saving services are as vital as water, food and shelter,' UNFPA executive director Babatunde Osotimehin said on Tuesday.
'The health and rights of women and adolescents should not be treated like an afterthought in a humanitarian response.'
Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) official data shows that in the period January to August 2015, there have already been 1,219 disasters across Indonesia. It is estimated that during emergencies, 25 percent of Indonesia's affected population are women of reproductive age. At any given time, approximately 4 percent of the affected population will be pregnant and 15-20 percent of these women will develop pregnancy complications.
'Women and adolescents are more vulnerable to sexual violence, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections without the usual protections of family and community,' UNFPA Indonesia assistant representative Martha Santoso Ismail said, quoting the new report during its official launch in Yogyakarta on Monday.
National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) board chair Surya Chandra Surapaty said that it was important that, regardless of the situation they were facing, women could exercise their rights to access the basic needs for safe childbirth, family planning and reproductive health care.
The UNFPA says it has increased its share of delivering services in crises as there are so many conflicts and disasters in the world today. Despite the UN agency having provided assistance at crises in 38 countries this year, the report reveals that there is still a shortfall in protecting all those who need it. The UNFPA says that in 2015, it received less than half the funding it needed to meet the essential sexual and reproductive health needs of women and adolescents.
In 2014, the UN required a record US$19.5 billion to respond to humanitarian situations around the world, but faced a record $7.5 billion shortfall, jeopardizing the health and lives of millions of people. (ebf)
