News
8.3 million dollar UNFPA appeal to deliver support to women
View(s):The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a USD 8.3 million humanitarian appeal to deliver urgent, life-saving support to women and girls whose health, safety, and dignity are increasingly at risk in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered catastrophic floods and landslides across Sri Lanka.
Among those affected are an estimated 520,000 women of reproductive age, including 22,570 pregnant women, and 193,770 elderly women.
“UNFPA, in close coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka, has been responding to the immediate needs of women and girls affected by the floods. Within 24 hours of the declaration of the state of public emergency, we dispatched 1,225 maternity and dignity kits to ensure continuity of essential care,” said Phuntsho Wangyel, UNFPA Officer-in-Charge for Sri Lanka. “But with the humanitarian crisis escalating, swift action is needed to ensure women and girls are not left behind.”
UNFPA is scaling up its response and is urgently mobilising resources to reach more than 208,400 women and girls—including pregnant and lactating women, elderly women, and people with disabilities—with lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services, prevention and response to gender-based violence, and mental health and psychosocial support.
UNFPA’s response will prioritise re-establishment of access to critical sexual and reproductive health services by deploying mobile health clinics to reach displaced and hard-to-reach communities; distributing essential items such as maternity kits, dignity kits, and midwifery go-bags; and restoring damaged health clinics.
It will also enhance the safety of women and girls by providing cash assistance to vulnerable women; conducting safety audits of evacuation centres; supporting women and girls’ safe spaces; and strengthening referral pathways for survivors of gender-based violence. Mental health and psychosocial support services will also be scaled up to address trauma and distress caused by displacement, loss and uncertainty.
“With only 2.5 per cent of the appeal currently funded, UNFPA warns that without immediate support, critical gaps in care will widen—and women and girls will be left bearing the consequences. The agency urges governments, donors and the international community to act swiftly to help ensure lifesaving services are available to those who need them most,” the UNFPA said.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!