UNFPA officials prepare necessities for flood-affected women. (Photo: UNFPA) Hanoi (VNA) - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has provided an additional800,000 USD for women and girls in Da Nang city and eight provinces in the centralregion affected by flooding in recent times, raising its total aid to 1.34million USD.
“When emergencies like this strike, life changes in a moment,” said NaomiKitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam. “This natural disaster has alreadydestroyed thousands of homes and forced people to flee. Women and girls areamong the most vulnerable. Women do not need to die giving birth, and this musthold true even in emergencies.”
“While fleeing, people are in need of basic necessities, ranging from food andwater to hygienic supplies and medical care,” she went on. “UNFPA is strivingto assist the Government in restoring and improving the lives of flood victims,particularly the most vulnerable. UNFPA expresses sympathy for victims andtheir families affected by the latest tragedy, especially women and girls. Thiscontribution underlines our solidarity with the people of Vietnam, many of whomhave suffered the loss of homes, livelihoods, and belongings in the wake of thedevastating floods.”
According to the joint rapid assessment carried out in October, in which UNFPAexperts played a lead role in the most affected areas of central Vietnam,health facilities have been hit hard by floods and landslides, and routinepublic health programmes such as antenatal, delivery, post-natal care andfamily planning services have been disrupted. Women and girls continue to beunable to access basic healthcare services, including sexual and reproductivehealth.
The disaster forced women and girls to move to evacuation centres withouthaving time to pack essential supplies. They are unable to manage their hygieneproperly as a result and lack access to basic needs such as sanitary pads,clothes, and underwear, which are needed to manage their menstrual periods. Inaddition, access to water and places to wash and dry reusable pads and clothes,or to dispose of used materials, is currently challenged.
The UNFPA funding and support includes the distribution of Dignity Kits, withessential hygiene items, along with vital maternal health equipment (such asthe Doppler Foetal Heart Rate Detector, which detects the heartbeat of apregnant woman’s foetus). In addition, UNFPA is supporting the delivery ofmobile and outreach sexual and reproductive health services, as part of thewider health sector response to violence against women and girls inflood-affected areas./.
VNA
