You are here

New Releases

UNFPA Sudan Emergency Situation Report #7 - 29 October 2023

UNFPA Sudan Emergency Situation Report #7 - 29 October 2023

Situation Report

As the conflict enters its seventh month, ensuring protection and reproductive health remains a top priority. UNFPA has increased its response capacity by collaborating with new operational partners. While facing challenges related to security, humanitarian access, and administrative constraints, UNFPA is able to operate through implementing partners in hard-to-reach areas. About 600 Midwifery Kits are being distributed to community midwives in nine states. Moreover, UNFPA initiated a second cross-border response, delivering 3,000 dignity kits from Chad to West Darfur. During a briefing to Member States on October 4, the Humanitarian Coordinator highlighted a notable increase in reports of sexual and gender-based violence in Sudan.

According to the latest UN estimates, more than 5.6 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the conflict that erupted in mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This includes 4.6 million people who are internally displaced, including 3.4 million women and girls of reproductive age, among whom an estimated 109,000 are currently pregnant and in need of timely access to lifesaving and essential reproductive health services. Nearly 15,000 women are likely to experience pregnancy and birth related complications including the need for Cesarean section. Moreover, over the course of the coming three months, around 36,000 displaced women are expected to give birth.

Full review

Escalation of hostilities in North-West Syria - Update on SRH & GBV concerns

Escalation of hostilities in North-West Syria - Update on SRH & GBV concerns

Publication

Hostilities between the Government of Syria and Armed Groups in northwest Syria rapidly escalated on October 5th, 2023, and resulted in one of the largest clashes since 2019. Shelling and airstrikes have resulted in death, injuries, and displacement of civilians across at least

50 villages, towns, and populated cities including Idleb City, Kafe Amma, Termanin, Al Dana, Ariha, and Jisr al- Shughour. Around 276 attacks have been recorded in the escalation of hostilities which have resulted in at least 53 casualties, including 11 women and 15 children, and 303 people injured, including 38 women and 48 children.

According to the North-West Syria Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster, the escalation of shelling displaced more than 68,100 individuals, most of whom were from Sarmin, Jisr-Ash-Shugur, Idleb, and Daret Azza sub-districts of Idleb and Aleppo governorates. Although numerous families have reached newly established reception centres, the majority of those displaced are still residing with their relatives. According to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a total of 23 reception centres at least have been opened by local authorities in various locations across Idleb, including Sarmada, Qah, Kafr Lusin, Mashhad Ruhin, Ma’arrat Tamasrin, Kelly, and Salqin communities.

Full review

UNFPA Palestine Situation Report -ISSUE #2 - October 2023

UNFPA Palestine Situation Report -ISSUE #2 - October 2023

Situation Report

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely dire with potential consequences that will impact the region and exacerbate an already-fragile situation.

On 21 October, a convoy of 20 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing, the first aid supplies reaching Gaza from the outside since the hostilities began on October 7. The United Nations calls for 100 trucks of aid supplies daily to meet the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents including one million newly displaced inside Gaza. However, fuel has not been allowed to enter Gaza yet. With Gaza under a complete siege and no water and electricity, fuel becomes life-saving as it is needed for generators to desalinate water and power hospitals. The Ministry of Health has warned that the delay in delivering fuel to hospitals puts the lives of thousands of patients and wounded at risk.

Among the 2,2 million affected population in Gaza, 1 in 4 are women and girls of reproductive age, around 572,000, and they need urgent access to reproductive health supplies and services.

Full review

UNFPA Palestine Situation Report - October 2023

UNFPA Palestine Situation Report - October 2023

Situation Report

Following Palestinian armed groups’ launch of “Operation Al-Asqa Flood” on 7 October, the Israeli Forces launched operation “Iron Sword“ with strikes on the Gaza Strip by air, land and sea. The current escalation follows six major military escalations between Israel and Palestinian militants in the past years, leading to substantial destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and grave human suffering. This escalation has been marked by increased brutality and destruction, surpassing previous conflicts. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s update on 13 October, at least 1,799 Palestinians have lost their lives, and 6,388 have been injured in Gaza since the start of the escalation. An additional 44 Palestinians, including four children, were killed, and 700 were injured by Israeli forces in the West Bank. With Israel’s formal declaration of war, the number of vulnerable individuals is expected to increase, and settler attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are becoming more violent.

Full review

 Community-driven innovation to end female genital mutilation in the Arab region - Five life-changing stories

Community-driven innovation to end female genital mutilation in the Arab region - Five life-changing stories

Publication

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an extreme form of violence against women and girls. It is a severe human rights violation with life-long consequences for hundreds of millions of women and girls who are cut across the world.

Since 2008, UNFPA and UNICEF lead the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of FGM. The UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation is active in 17 of the worst affected countries globally, including Djibouti, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. 

Across the five countries in the Arab region, UNFPA delivers creative solutions to end FGM in partnership with women and girls, men and boys, local leaders and communities. 

The five life-changing stories provide a glimpse into how UNFPA and partners everyday accelerate innovation and invest in women’s leadership, networks, technology and social entrepreneurship to eliminate the scourge of FGM.

Full review

Taking Stock: Sexual and Reproductive and Health and Rights in Climate Commitments: A Global Review

Taking Stock: Sexual and Reproductive and Health and Rights in Climate Commitments: A Global Review

Publication

The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the most central and globally representative climate policy documents that outline the national climate plans of countries that have ratified the Paris Climate Agreement. Submitted every five years, the NDCs indicate the voluntary commitments of countries to achieving agreed-upon mitigation and adaptation goals.

With climate impacts increasing in scale and intensity, communities on the frontlines are becoming more vulnerable, especially women and girls. As the year 2023 marks the conclusion of the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement, this report reflects on how 119 NDCs incorporated SRHR issues, and seeks to inform the next cycle of NDCs to be submitted in 2025.

UNFPA, in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London, conducted a systematic content analysis of SRHR references and related thematic areas in NDC documents for 119 countries. Accompanying this will be regional reports for five regions: Arab States, Asia Pacific, East and Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and West and Central Africa.

This global report examines the integration of sexual reproductive health and rights and related themes - including health, gender, population dynamics, youth,  human rights, vulnerable groups and participation - in the NDCs of countries from 2020. It  offers recommendations on how the next submissions can more effectively  address these intersections in terms of impact, commitments, budget and other critical actions.

Full review

UNFPA Libya Flood Response Flash Appeal Sept 2023

UNFPA Libya Flood Response Flash Appeal - September 2023

Publication

This flash appeal is consolidated by UNFPA Libya country office to address the immediate humanitarian response needs of 440,160 women and girls, including up to 230,000 of reproductive age (15-49 years old) among whom an estimated 24,000 women are pregnant and in need of essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (B/CEmONC) services.

The appeal covers the period from 14 September 2023 to 30 June 2024 (nine months).

Full review

THE NEED FOR INTEGRATED CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION IN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE PROGRAMMING - EVIDENCE

THE NEED FOR INTEGRATED CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION IN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE PROGRAMMING - EVIDENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ARAB REGION

Publication



Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge of our time and is a major threat to the vision of human-centred sustainable development as outlined in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. Climate change has also emerged as one of the most complex and important factors in the Arab region with dire impacts on water scarcity, food security and human health. The increasing frequency of natural disasters and extreme weather events is exacerbating the social, political, and economic challenges and is rendering the region even more vulnerable to instability and conflict.

 

The pace of climate change, expected to accelerate over the next decade, alongside gender inequalities, extremism, and acute and protracted crises may make it more challenging to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including the ICDP Programme of Action in the Arab Region. In effect, climate change, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are inextricably linked. SRHR has to be considered a key component of climate adaptation and resilience action and of climate justice.

 

UNFPA’s value proposition on climate change outlines a multi-pronged approach via four pillars to integrate SRHR into climate adaptation strategies, and thereby deliver for women and young people.

 

This paper presents a review of existing evidence based on the linkages between climate change and SRHR in the Arab Region and outlines UNFPA opportunities for engagement with counterparts in governments and other organisations. The paper formulates recommendations in support of strengthening resilience to climate change for women and girls across various levels of operation and programmatic areas. Women and girls can be effective change-makers for climate resilience as their participation and involvement in sustainability initiatives is leading to more effective climate action.

Full review

UNFPA Libya Flood Response Situation Report #1

UNFPA Libya Flood Response Situation Report #1

Publication

Heavy rains, caused by Storm Daniel, swept through Libya's northeastern region on Sunday, 10 September, causing flash floods, the collapse of two dams near Derna and overflowing rivers in five provinces (Benghazi, Al Marj, Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, Derna, and Tobruq). According to the DTM update, more than 5,000 people are presumed dead, including 3,922 deaths registered in hospitals, and more than 9,000 people were still missing four days after the disaster. Around 38,000 people have been displaced.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with1 humanitarian partners and in support of the national government, launched a Libya Response Flash Appeal for a three month period.

More than 880,000 people in the five hardest-hit provinces, including 440,000 women, were affected by the disaster with more than 40,000 displaced people. The cities of Derna, Battah, Soussa, Al Marj, Taknis, Al Bayda, Shahat, Al Bayadah, Tolmeita, Tokra, Al Abyar and Bersis are among the worst affected and schools and hotels are being used for shelter. Telecommunications and electricity outages combined with road collapses are making access to information extremely challenging.

Both the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives and the Presidential Council have requested international assistance.

UNFPA estimates that up to 230,000 of the people in need of humanitarian assistance are women and girls of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) among whom an estimated 24,000 women are pregnant and in need of essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (B/CEmONC). Around 2,625 pregnant women among the people in need of humanitarian assistance are expected to give birth in the next month.

An increased number of women are exposed to risks of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) as women and girls are on the move, displaced in temporary shelters and deprived of basic needs. Gender-based violence was already a critical issue for women and girls in Libya prior to this crisis.

Full review

The sixth review of the International Conference on Population and Development in the Arab region - Ten years after the 2013 Cai

The sixth review of the International Conference on Population and Development in the Arab region - Ten years after the 2013 Cairo Declaration: regional review report

Publication

This report was jointly prepared by the United Nations Population Fund’s Arab States Regional Office (UNFPA-ASRO), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the League of Arab States. The report is based on data and information drawn from a survey filled out by 13 Arab Governments assessing their progress and challenges using national data. 

This Regional Review Report, is based on both quantitative and qualitative data provided by countries, finds that progress has been made in many areas. Some countries have enacted and are implementing new legislation to eliminate gender discrimination and to empower women and girls including through addressing negative social norms, investments in education, supporting their integration in the labour market, and a gender-responsive budgeting approach. There are good examples of investments in capacity-building and in strengthening of institutions, multisectoral coordination, accountability and participatory approaches. The responses provided by Arab Governments for this report recognize that complex issues must be addressed through cross-sectoral mechanisms. They underscore the need to allocate dedicated resources to meet the goals of the 2013 Cairo Declaration, to build capacities within ministries and departments, to make the best use of technology, and to build strong policy frameworks and implementatio mechanisms that will yield success. Similarly, countries also underline the importance to strengthen and expand systematic data collection mechanisms at national and local levels to ensure that their policies and measures comprehensively and effectively provide the complex picture presented by the Arab region across areas of the ICPD Programme of Action and the 2013 Cairo Declaration for the benefit of all their populations.

Full review

Pages