Regional Prepositioning Initiative - Supplies

UNFPA works with governments and national partners to implement global standards that meet the immediate needs of women and girls in humanitarian crises.
 

The Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises and UNFPA’s Minimum Standards for Gender-based Violence in Emergencies form the core of our humanitarian response.

An essential component of an effective humanitarian response is ensuring the availability of supplies to implement the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises and respond to gender-based violence. UNFPA therefore strategically prepositions supplies in 11 priority countries across the Asia Pacific region, and in two regional hubs in Brisbane, Australia, and Suva, Fiji.

Supplies include:

• Interagency reproductive health kits 
• Dignity kits that have been customised for different populations
• Tents and other mobile units that can be established as temporary health facilities or as women and youth friendly spaces 
• Radios and solar lights
• Information, education and communication materials

Prepositioning has also strengthened UNFPA’s reputation and reliability as a humanitarian actor, provided new opportunities to advocate for measures to address sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence during humanitarian responses, and helped to build trust with governments and other partners. The demonstrated value of the initiative has resulted in government ministry partners in the Philippines and Indonesia integrating prepositioning into national action plans.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health has developed a multi-year costed implementation plan for the implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises, including government prepositioning of essential sexual and reproductive health supplies. In addition, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has activated the national gender-based violence sub-cluster with plans to nationally preposition women-friendly space tents and kits. In Indonesia, national prepositioning of dignity kits and reproductive health tents have been allocated in the 2021 national budget.

VIDEO: Without adequate clothing, menstrual supplies, and hygiene items, women and girls may be unable to access basic services, including humanitarian aid. That’s why UNFPA distributes dignity kits during disasters, to reduce vulnerability and connect women and girls to information, support and services. Dignity kits contain underwear, basic clothing, sanitary napkins, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and laundry powder.as well as information on the services that are available and how to access them. WATCH THE VIDEO

“Being able to talk about preparedness and response regarding sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence issues, and having the supplies help to create an enabling environment and
having a helpful entry point. It is tangible, and many government's can relate to it; it opens doors for preparedness and helps the response. It gives sexual and reproductive health a bigger focus”

- IPPF, Sub-regional Office for the Pacific