UNITED NATIONS, Manila/Tacloban City—Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will be in the Philippines on 14-15 December 2013 to visit areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in Tacloban City and Eastern Samar in order to raise awareness of the urgent needs of women and girls.

UNFPA estimates that there are currently 270,000 pregnant women in the affected areas, 1,000 of whom are giving birth every day. Around 15 per cent of them are experiencing complications during delivery. UNFPA is prioritizing reaching the areas hit hardest by Haiyan to address these and other health needs.

During his visit on 14 December, Dr. Osotimehin will hand over to local authorities in Palo, Leyte, the first of three “hospitals in containers” to be provided by UNFPA in the region. These facilities will provide emergency obstetric care including caesarian-sections—a first in the Philippines. The hospitals will be placed in key areas identified in close collaboration with the Department of Health.

UNFPA has also conducted several reproductive health missions reaching pregnant and lactating women in evacuation centres and affected communities.

Based on national data in the eight affected provinces prior to the disaster, an estimated 375,000 women and girls in their lifetime (between the ages of 15 and 49) would have experienced sexual violence. Without adequate protection measures, this number could increase by 75,000.

In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, UNFPA is setting up Women-Friendly Spaces in evacuation centres and affected communities.

On 14 December, UNFPA’s Executive Director will visit the spaces set up in Tacloban City. These areas serve as a venue for women and girls to avail of information on how to protect themselves from gender-based violence, where they can report such cases, and what services are available to manage these cases.

UNFPA is working closely with the Government to reactivate protective mechanisms that will support social systems in the most affected communities.

Dr. Osotimehin will be available for interviews locally.

Please contact:

Arlene Calaguian Alano – Mobile: 0920 928 6471, E-mail: alano@unfpa.org
Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque – Mobile: 0917 515 1547, E-mail: sicotte-levesque@unfpa.org