UNITED NATIONS, Johanesburg, 28 December 2013 — UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has provided reproductive health supplies to affected populations in the South Sudan crisis to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and gender-based violence.
“Judging by the number of internally displaced people in the country, there is a huge need for reproductive health supplies and action to address gender-based violence," said UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Dr. Julitta Onabanjo.
The supplies already provided include vials of Oxytocin, which will serve more than 500 delivering mothers, and IV fluid sets and vials of IV antibiotics; clean delivery kits and rape treatment kits.
Barnabas Yisa, UNFPA Representative in South Sudan, said: “It is important for us to proactively respond during the crisis to prevent pregnancy-related deaths and sexual violence.”
The UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that already up to 121,000 people have been displaced by the crisis, including 63,000 people who have taken shelter in UN peacekeeping bases.
In addition, aid agencies need $166,000 million to respond to immediate needs for food, health care, shelter, sanitation and hygiene services and camp management caused by the emergency.
In partnership with other agencies, UNFPA will carry out a rapid assessment of the situation to establish the sexual and reproductive health humanitarian needs of women and young people affected by the crisis. The assessment is critical to developing a comprehensive costed emergency response plan.
Background Information
• Humanitarian crises results in reproductive health disasters. In emergency situations, pregnancy-related disabilities and deaths and sexual violence soar. Reproductive health services, including prenatal care, assisted delivery and emergency obstetric care, often become unavailable.
• Young people are also vulnerable to sexual exploitation, while women lose access to family planning, exposing them to unwanted pregnancies.
• UNFPA’s priority in emergency situations includes data collection and provision of information for rapid health assessment.
• UNFPA delivers a world, where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Contact details
For more information:
• Barnabas Yisa, UNFPA Representative, South Sudan, Tel: +211-956444486
• Adebayo Fayoyin, Regional Communications Adviser, UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office, Johannesburg, Tel: +27786066715
• Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque, Advocacy and Communication Specialist, UNFPA, New York, Tel: +12122975077
