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UNFPA focuses on urgent needs of women, girls in Myanmar
In the depths of sorrow: Women and children spend their day at a rescue camp in Thu Ma Na district, one of the areas most affected by Cyclone Komen
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In the depths of sorrow: Women and children spend their day at a rescue camp in Thu Ma Na district, one of the areas most affected by Cyclone Komen. (Courtesy of UNFPA Myanmar) (Courtesy of UNFPA Myanmar)
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span class="inline inline-center">In the depths of sorrow: Women and children spend their day at a rescue camp in Thu Ma Na district, one of the areas most affected by Cyclone Komen. (Courtesy of UNFPA Myanmar)
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is supporting the Myanmar government and its civil society partners to respond to the devastating impacts of flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Komen.
The UNFPA says it focuses its humanitarian response on the urgent needs of women and girls, including reproductive health services and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The UN agency symbolizes its response through its trademark dignity kits and clean delivery kits, which are key components of the organization's intervention in humanitarian emergencies worldwide.
"In the immediate aftermath of natural disasters and other emergencies, food, water and shelter are an obvious priority, but the particular challenges that women and girls face at such a time can often be overlooked," UNFPA Myanmar deputy representative Kaori Ishikawa said in a press statement on Thursday.
"We must help ensure that each and every childbirth is safe, even in a disaster zone, that every new mother and her infant receive the care they need and that women and girls are safe from sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence."
"Our response at this time builds on the support we've long provided in Rakhine state and elsewhere in Myanmar," said UNFPA Myanmar's humanitarian response coordinator Stenly Hely Sajow.
Myanmar authorities reported earlier this week that Cyclone Komen affected over 200,000 people, causing dozens of deaths across 12 states and regions. The number of casualties is expected to rise as more information from storm-battered areas becomes available. (ebf)(+++)
