As Borno Government continues the resettlement of displaced persons, the United Nations Population Fund says it is committed to providing reproductive health services to people of the state.
The UNFPA Humanitarian Coordinator/Head of the Maiduguri Office, Mr Macauley Christian, reiterated the Fund’s determination in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri.
He said UNFPA had continued to offer comprehensive services to displaced persons in camps.
He added that “we have continued the delivery of reproductive health services at Internally Displaced Person camps through our supported facilities like the women and girls friendly spaces and integrated service points in the camps.
“These services continued despite the closure of some camps as the Borno Government gradually shuts IDP camps. We must redeploy our teams to ensure that services continue wherever the IDPs have been moved to.
“We want to ensure that women's reproductive health rights continue to be assured in the context of the displacement.
“In the area of Gender-Based Violence, as you know we are the lead agency of GBV prevention and response in an emergency, we are still supporting inter-agency efforts as far as gender violence is concerned about bringing together all partners to ensure that there is a coordinated response.”
Christian added that the One Stop Centre provided by the Fund in Maiduguri would continue to be supported to provide multi-sectoral GBV services like mental health, psychosocial support, technical management of rape, and medical care for GBV survivors.
According to him, UNFPA is also placing more emphasis on safety and security by building the capacity of some legal practitioners and para-military that will support and ensure that survivors get justice.
Dignity kits produced by women at One Stop Centre, Maiduguri
“We are also supporting the production of dignity kits to ensure that vulnerable women continue to have their dignity protected in the context of the displacement.
“The dignity kit production centre which the UNFPA is supporting through our partnership is still functioning. This year, women at the centre produced about 11,000 kits and have distributed some through our implementing partners.”
He also explained that within the year, the Fund reached out to 324,219 community members with sensitisation on reproductive health and GBV.
The humanitarian coordinator said that the Fund has a fistula programme with the Korea International Cooperation Agency, noting that this year, there was one campaign where about 70 fistula survivors got treated and currently receiving socio-economic integration and psychosocial support.
NAN reports that UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency with the mission to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, and every childbirth is safe. Every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
