Germany provides 7 million euros in life-saving support for women and girls amid soaring humanitarian needs

New York, UNITED NATIONS - The Government of Germany is committed to safeguarding the health and rights of some of  the world’s most vulnerable women and girls. The German Federal Foreign Office signed a new agreement to provide UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, with 7 million euros towards the Humanitarian Thematic Fund over the course of three years. 

This inaugural contribution from the German Foreign Office to the flexible, multi-year funding mechanism will enable UNFPA to deploy resources in less than 48 hours to meet the most immediate needs of women and girls when a crisis erupts, while also supporting ongoing humanitarian response and preparedness efforts. 

UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for Management, Mr. Ib Petersen, recognized the importance of such a flexible contribution as he signed the new agreement with Germany. “Women and girls’ needs and rights are often overlooked in emergencies,” said Mr. Ib Petersen. “This new flexible contribution from Germany will help UNFPA assist millions of women and girls in the hardest places to reach,” he added. 

Last year, the Humanitarian Thematic Fund enabled UNFPA to respond to humanitarian emergencies in nearly 50 countries, delivering time-critical and life-saving humanitarian assistance from Afghanistan to Haiti and across the Horn of Africa. 

As humanitarian crises take a disproportionate toll on women and girls, UNFPA is launching its largest-ever humanitarian appeal for US$1.2 billion to reach an estimated 66 million women and girls in 2023. 

“More than one in three women experience violence in the course of their lives. The risk of becoming victims of violence is much higher in conflicts, natural disasters and other crises,” said Ms. Susanne Fries-Gaier, Director for Humanitarian Assistance in the German Foreign Office. “With this new funding, Germany supports UNFPA in preventing gender-based violence in crisis situations and in providing women, girls and young people worldwide with access to sexual and reproductive health care,” she added. 

This year, Germany is the third-largest contributor to UNFPA’s core resources. Earlier this year, Germany announced a 57 million euro contribution to UNFPA to fund its flexible resources. Germany is also a long-standing contributor to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership and to the Maternal and Newborn Health Thematic Fund, which supports midwifery training and obstetric fistula repair surgeries.