By Pio Smith, Regional Director for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Asia and Pacific
Humanitarians put their lives on the line to uphold fundamental rights, like sexual and reproductive health, ensuring that every individual receives the information and services they need to maintain their health and well-being. Today, we honor their courage and commitment to protecting human rights in the most extreme situations.
Protecting the fundamental rights to health and bodily autonomy remains crucial when disasters hit. Without access to skilled healthcare professionals and essential services, women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health is put at grave risk.
The impact is immediate and severe. The destruction of local clinics and hospitals can create a healthcare vacuum. Pregnant women face life-threatening complications without access to prenatal and postnatal care or skilled birth attendants. Survivors of gender-based violence find themselves without medical and psychosocial support, and communities can experience a surge in unintended pregnancies due to disrupted family planning and contraception services.
As humanitarian disasters intensify with the impacts of climate change, the risks for women and girls multiply. During climate-related disasters, infrastructure is demolished, economies are devastated, and health services people rely on are severely disrupted or destroyed. The presence of trained healthcare professionals can mean the difference between life and death. They not only provide immediate care but also help stabilize the community, facilitating recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Take Lamawng, for example. In a temporary shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons in the north of Myanmar, she turns a makeshift space into a life-saving facility. As a midwife, Lamawng comforts pregnant mothers who are worried about their baby’s health. Her training in performing emergency deliveries with limited resources allows her to transform a simple tarpaulin into a functional delivery space. Simply said, Lamawng saves lives – of mothers, babies, and entire families. She is one of the many humanitarian champions that we celebrate today.
Across Asia and the Pacific, millions of people are displaced due to conflict, climate change, or other disasters. As the most disaster-prone region in the world, in 2022 alone, over 140 disasters struck Asia and the Pacific, leading to over 7,500 deaths and affecting over 64 million people. Women and children face the brunt of these disasters as they are 14 times more likely to die than men due to various factors stemming from existing inequalities.
In Bangladesh, I have seen first-hand how the displaced Rohingya community – including women, youth, and transgender people – in Cox’s Bazar is coping with multiple crises thanks to local healthcare workers, counsellors and youth leaders who safeguard their fundamental rights. In Afghanistan, young people are central to the humanitarian response. Through innovative data mapping, they track the distribution of resources and identify areas in need, ensuring that trained midwives can stay on the frontline of the fight for sexual and reproductive rights. Retired midwives from Fiji are now humanitarian first responders sent into storm-ravaged areas to meet the needs of Pacific women and girls when cyclones devastate clinics and hospitals.
By investing in these trained and dedicated healthcare professionals, especially for sexual and reproductive health services, governments can uphold fundamental rights, ensuring that all individuals receive the care they need and deserve, even amidst climate disasters.
Our collective efforts to build more resilient systems require an approach that puts the needs of women and girls at the center. UNFPA is working with governments across the region to train a network of humanitarian first-responders and localize services to meet the unique needs of each country. To respond faster in disasters, we have prepositioned emergency supplies where they are needed most, and trained thousands of midwives to handle emergency births in crisis conditions.
Prepositioning is a long-term approach that includes specialized expertise and sustained budgeting support. Healthcare workers must be prepared for the challenges posed by disasters and equipped with the skills to provide care under extreme circumstances.
Disaster response across the region is too often reactive rather than proactive. Governments and humanitarian organizations scramble to address health needs after a disaster, resulting in fragmented and insufficient care.
Forward-thinking governments are shifting towards strategies that prioritize the availability of trained and experienced healthcare professionals. This transition requires investing in training, logistics, and resource management, but the payoff is a more robust and effective response to climate disasters.
When healthcare professionals, like Lamawng, are deployed proactively, they enhance community resilience. Effective sexual and reproductive health services address acute health needs and support long-term recovery by promoting physical and mental well-being. Ensuring these services are available helps communities recover faster and emerge stronger, with a greater capacity to withstand future crises.
As we celebrate humanitarians for their service, governments and civil society must take decisive action to prepare for future emergencies. Humanitarians help deliver a life of rights and choices for all, especially in emergencies. Investing in and equipping local, skilled health professionals is essential to respond effectively and save lives when climate disasters hit.
