What: The United Nations Population Fund Asia-Pacific Regional Office cordially invites you to a special event marking World Population Day, the most important day in the UNFPA calendar, whose theme this year is Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies.
When: Bangkok, 10 July 2015, 10am - noon
Where: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand,The Penthouse, Maneeya Center (next to Amarin Plaza), 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Super-Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines. Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu. The April 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Three of the worst humanitarian crises in recent times in Asia and the Pacific, the world's most disaster-prone region.
Humanitarian crises - whether caused by natural disasters or conflict - always affect women and girls the most. At times of upheaval, pregnancy-related deaths and sexual violence increase. Reproductive health services - including safe deliveries and emergency obstetric care - are often unavailable. Young people become more vulnerable to unsafe sex leading to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and sexual exploitation. And many women lose access to family planning services, exposing them to unwanted pregnancy in perilous conditions.
Against this backdrop, how do we ensure that the most vulnerable populations are provided life-saving support by UN agencies and partner organizations? At such times, what are the challenges - logistical, financial, political -- in getting essential health services to pregnant women and new mothers, as well as preventing sexual assault and other gender-based violence targeting women and girls?
Join us for a high-level panel discussion featuring truly compelling real-life stories of humanitarian response, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. One-on-one interviews can also be arranged. Participants include:
- Priya Marwah, Regional Humanitarian Response Coordinator, UNFPA APRO
- Dr Shilu Adhikari, Reproductive Health Coordinator, UNFPA Nepal
- Lilliane Fan, Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute
- Caspar Peek, UNFPA Representative for Thailand & Country Director for Malaysia
Moderated by Veronica Pedrosa, Senior International Journalist/Anchor (ex-CNN/BBC/Al Jazeera)
RSVP: Supaporn Tui Chatwanichkul, UNFPA APRO: chatwanichkul@unfpa.org
