Monday, 8 May 2017
Statement by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN Population Fund, on Release of 82 Chibok Girls
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 8 May 2017 –We, at UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, welcome the recent release of 82 more Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram. We call for the urgent release of the remaining girls and all other abductees.
UNFPA is fully prepared to provide the released girls with emergency reproductive health care, psychosocial counselling and other critical support. We have already deployed an emergency team of psychosocial counsellors and health professionals to help meet the freed girls’ critical needs.
UNFPA is already providing care and rehabilitation support to the 21 girls released last October. The Fund stands ready to extend such vital support to these 82 girls, as well as any others who may be released in the future.
