Cairo, 8 May 2017 – I am following with great concern the situation of 55 people, including 20 women and 22 children, who are stranded at the border area between Algeria and Morocco, the two groups arrived at the border area after leaving Syria and traveling through Libya and Algeria, according to UNHCR. One of two women who were pregnant when they got stranded gave birth on the evening of April 23.

Displacement puts women at greater risk of having a baby without necessarily having access to basic life-saving services.  As the UN agency working on reproductive health, UNFPA reiterates the need to ensure that everywhere pregnant and breast-feeding women and their newborn children have access to adequate medical services and facilities.

UNFPA stands ready to support the relevant entities in helping to ease the situation of people stranded at the borders, especially women.

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