3 October 2023 – UNFPA, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, is mobilizing health and protection services for tens of thousands of women and girls that have fled the Karabakh region and sought refuge in neighbouring Armenia in a humanitarian crisis straining national resources. Among the refugees, there are an estimated 2,070 women who are currently pregnant and nearly 700 are expected to give birth over the next three months.
In collaboration with Armenia’s health ministry, UNFPA is delivering 20 reproductive health kits that will meet the needs of a population of up to 150,000, including equipment and supplies to help women deliver safely and to manage obstetric emergencies. UNFPA has also distributed 13,000 dignity kits, which include sanitary pads, soap and shampoo.
Humanitarian crises are often accompanied by a spike in gender-based violence, as displaced women and girls are cut off from their communities and support systems fold. UNFPA has trained 35 local partners to ensure that vulnerable women and girls can access protection services and that survivors of gender-based violence receive the support they need. UNFPA has established two safe spaces for refugees in the Syunik region, where psychosocial, health and legal assistance and other life-saving services are available. More safe spaces will be opened across Armenia.
