The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has flagged off the distribution of 10, 000 dignity kits to survivors of insurgency and 144 comprehensive reproductive health kits to medical facilities, including clinics in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps to respond to their reproductive health needs. This new round of distribution, to Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, is funded by the Government and People of the United States of America through USAID
“Many of us here today, have easy access to reproductive health services, but for a survivor of insurgency in an IDP camp, these needs are not easily met”, said Ms. Fatma Samoura, the UN Resident coordinator. “The comprehensive reproductive health kit distributed today will provide healthy childbirth spacing services for women of reproductive age, commodities for pre-natal, safe delivery and post-natal care for pregnant women, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s) including the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the clinically management of rape”. This support is part of a UNFPA plan to restore access to essential reproductive health services to about 4.5 million people affected by the humanitarian situation in the North East.
In addition to health kits, the peculiarity of the female gender demands that she has some basic necessities to preserve her dignity. These needs go beyond health, food and shelter to the procurement of commodities that strengthen her self-esteem in a time of crisis. To the vulnerable women and girls in a humanitarian setting, these needs include sanitary towel, soap, toothpaste, underwear, new clothes, infant blankets and others. The 10, 000 UNFPA dignity kits co-funded by USAID will address these needs.
UNFPA has responded relentlessly to the humanitarian situation in Nigeria. In 2014, it initiated a scale-up of its ongoing response in the North East, to target a caseload of about 4.5 million people. So far, the Fund has reached 3.19 million people, assisted the safe delivery of over 37,963 pregnancies in supported health facilities, distributed 1,457 comprehensive health kits to health facilities and about 22,000 dignity kits to vulnerable IDP women and girls and host communities.
His Excellency Kashim Shettima, the Governor of Borno State acknowledged the leading role the United Nations plays in the ongoing humanitarian response in Nigeria. “The United Nations is a dependable partner in the fight against insurgency. We trust you and are confident that it is a fight that we will win” he said.
The United Nations Population Fund renews its commitment to cooperate with the people and Government of Nigeria to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
