UNFPA launches campaign in support of quake survivor women

ISTANBUL

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched an awareness and donation campaign to draw attention to the needs of quake-stricken women and young girls on March 8, International Women’s Day.

The fund invited everyone to support their campaign to reach more women.

UNFPA emphasized that there are currently 226,000 pregnant women in earthquake-affected provinces, 25,000 of whom will give birth within a month.

They emphasized that in these kinds of crises, cases of violence against women and children, gender-based violence, including child marriage, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections increase.

UNFPA stated that their teams provide safe delivery and postnatal care services and distribute women’s health kits containing hygiene products and mother-baby health kits containing the basic needs of newborn babies.

Their teams also provide counseling and psychosocial support to quake survivors exposed to gender-based violence.

According to the UNFPA Türkiye Earthquake Situation Report, damage to health facilities due to earthquakes may lead to problems in accessing safe delivery and postnatal care services.

The report also drew attention to gender-based violence, noting that women, young girls and other vulnerable groups face increased violence in crisis situations and that “there is a need to establish new shelters for women and girls who have been subjected to violence.”