Philippines is ranked the third in the 2018 World Risk Index of most disaster-prone countries in the world. Every year, the country experiences almost all forms of disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions with numerous complex emergencies due to armed conflict.
Women do not stop getting pregnant or delivering babies just because an emergency hits. Many may lose access to sexual and reproductive health services including family planning, exposing them to unwanted pregnancies, and preventable maternal death and morbidity. Women and young people also become more vulnerable to sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking, child marriage and STI/HIV infection.
UNFPA works closely with the government and other partners to ensure that the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls as well as the prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV) are integrated into disaster risk reduction and response, resiliency and peace-building initiatives.
In partnership with the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as well as the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ministries, UNFPA supports the institutionalization of Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in emergencies — a series of life-saving actions required to uphold the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls including protection from and response to gender-based violence in crisis situations.
During emergencies, UNFPA is ready to provide SRHR and GBV assistance, including cash and voucher modalities to displaced people. UNFPA distributes hygiene supplies, reproductive health kits, family planning commodities, women-friendly spaces, with support from development partners such as the Government of Australia. UNFPA deploys trained personnel to vulnerable populations and works to ensure the needs of women and young people are served through a continuum approach including preparation, response and recovery. UNFPA is also assisting in establishing common operational data sets on population statistics for humanitarian settings, to support population-based disaster preparedness, and quick evidence-based decision making for disaster response.
Key Projects:
1. Operationalization of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace-building- Human Rights Nexus (USD 4,928,830 from 2019-2023; of which USD 4,928,830 is unfunded);
2. Strengthening Youth Participation in the Disaster Risk Reduction, Resilience and Peace Building Programming through Digital Governance and Innovation (USD 1,000,000 from 2020-2022; of which USD 1,000,000 is unfunded);
3. Multi-Year Costed Implementation Plan for the Minimum Initial Service Package on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Emergencies (500,000 USD from 2019-2023); and
4. Digital Innovation on the Data on Humanitarian through promotion of common operational datasets (USD 630,000 from 2020-2024; of which USD 630,000 is unfunded).
