Japan continues to prioritize the most vulnerable women and girls in humanitarian settings

New York, UNITED NATIONS –  Amid soaring humanitarian needs, the Government of Japan has allocated record-level funding to UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, to provide women and girls with essential services and protect the lives of the most vulnerable. UNFPA will use the funding, amounting to more than $22 million dollars, across 19 conflict- and crisis-affected countries around the globe.

In 2023, the world saw the deepening of multiple, ongoing crises, with millions of people forcibly displaced and subjected to threats of violence, food insecurity and the spread of disease. “When crisis strikes, women and girls pay the steepest price,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. UNFPA’s 2024 humanitarian action appeal calls for $1.2 billion to address mounting needs among women and girls forced to confront the dire impacts of conflict and catastrophe.

The new funding provided by Japan will support UNFPA’s work towards meeting the health and protection needs of women and girls across more than a dozen emergency settings. This work includes ensuring safe births in Gaza and the West Bank; delivering essential sexual and reproductive health and protection emergency services in Yemen or Uganda; building resilience in the face of climate change in Kenya and Sri Lanka; and addressing the urgent needs of adolescent girls affected by conflict in Somalia. The funding will also support the improvement of midwifery services in Syria and Sudan and provide sustained access to life-saving services in war-torn Ukraine.

Other countries that will receive financial support from Japan in prioritization of sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings include Afghanistan, Chad, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, South Sudan, Tanzania and Türkiye.

Japan’s support has helped make a significant difference in the lives of women and girlsaffected by emergencies in 2023. Here’s how:

In Ethiopia, a Japan-funded UNFPA project helped respond to growing needs for skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric and neonatal care – streamlining a pathway to safe motherhood for women like Steyelem. The project also provided several local health centres with ambulances, supplies and equipment.

 

 

 

 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a mobile clinic established with Japan’s support in March 2023 addressed the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and girls displaced in the Rusayo camp, in the conflict-affected North Kivu province. The staff – including three trained midwives – have treated an average of three pregnant women every day, such as Tantine who was seven months pregnant and was provided with much-needed care.

 

 

 

In Afghanistan, UNFPA established 29 Family Health Houses in Helmand with support from the Government of Japan and trained midwives to provide reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health care. In 2023, the clinics served more than 38,000 villagers in 12 districts in Helmand.

 

 

 

 

In Ukraine, funding from Japan enabled the procurement of 70 tonnes of critical pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for 93 maternity hospitals across Ukraine amid war, to ensure access to quality reproductive health care for women. The funding has ensured continuous access to quality life-saving services, including sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services.

 

 

 

In Sri Lanka, women and girls from Kilinochchi witnessed the opening of a new service centre, which enhances accessibility to quality sexual and reproductive health services for at-risk communities through the deployment of mobile clinics. The centre resulted from a partnership between UNFPA and the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, and was made possible by funding from Japan.

 

 

 

These are just a few examples of how UNFPA, with Japan's support, has shown up for women and girls around the world. As the need for flexible and predictable humanitarian funding grows, UNFPA counts on partners like Japan to mobilize support and protect the lives of millions – including the most vulnerable.