UNFPA's Humanitarian Response to People in Crisis Situations

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Three-Year Interim Plan lays out a set of goals, strategies, and priorities for strengthening the health system, nevertheless the development of sustainable and effective health delivery system will take time. UNFPA is working together with the government for this longer-term goal. However, as an immediate remedy, UNFPA, the government and non-governmental organizations are taking action to deliver immediate health care to those in need, particularly in remote areas, where health services are not easily accessible.

Nepal is ranked the eleventh most at-risk country to earthquakes, the thirtieth to floods, and one of twenty of the most multi-hazard prone countries in the world. Natural disasters tend to lead to more deaths in Nepal than in most South Asian countries. This high proportion reflects Nepal's limited institutional capacity for search, rescue and relief; the difficult terrain; and the social unrest's undermining disaster response capabilities. Furthermore, natural disasters only increase the existing challenges of responding to issues of reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence. The national mechanisms and plans to prevent, prepare and respond to natural disasters are weak and are mostly gender and inclusion blind. The fragile peace situation, with frequent outbreaks of violence, coupled with natural disasters continues to require direct emergency assistance by humanitarian and development partners in Nepal.

UNFPA has been providing humanitarian assistance to those most affected by the conflict since 2005.

Through conducting mobile reproductive health outreach camps UNFPA aims to fill the gap created by a lack of health service providers, medical supplies and health services including gender sensitive service delivery. Along with World Food Program (WFP) UNFPA jointly conducted food aid and reproductive health camps in severely drought affected communities of Humla and Mugu in October-November 2006. WFP also allocated US$ 300,000 for Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) which provides essential reproductive health care services for women, men, and adolescents in conflict affected districts through reproductive health camps.

UNFPA provided humanitarian assistance to people of Banke, Bardiya and Achham affected flash flood and landslide by implementing reproductive health mobile camps in 2006 with support of the Government of Norway. The reproductive health Services and Relief for the Flood Victims project is to be continued and the Government of Norway allocated US$ 85,000 as emergency funds for UNFPA disposal in case of emergency.

In addition to above UNFPA executed a twelve month project of humanitarian type funded by Emergency Fund of Government of Japan in six districts (Banke, bardiya, Kanchanpur, Kailali, Achham and Doti) of Mid and Far West Development Regions- Delivering Essential Reproductive Health Care Services for Women, Men, and Adolescents in the Post Conflict Situation through Mobile Reproductive Health Camps operated by local partner NGO. The project funded by Emergency Grants from the Government of Japan, continues and the mobile camps provide essential reproductive health care services for women, men, and adolescents in the post conflict situation in mid and far western region. The fund received was US$ 0.4 million.

UNFPA has been supporting Ministry of Health and Population in peace building process by providing two medical doctors to cantonments in Surkhet, and Kailali for the last 12 months. These doctors have been providing valuable medical services to the People's Liberation Army combatants as well as to the host communities.

UNFPA with funding support from European Comission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) operated through local partner organisations mobile reproductive health camps in the six districts of Dang, Rolpa and Banke, Dadeldhura, Doti and Accham in years 2006-2007.

Humanitarian assistance funded by ECHO includes capacity strengthening of local health care providers in issues related to delivery of reproductive health services. Through hands-on training, local health officials feel more comfortable with diagnosing reproductive health care conditions, including sexually transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS and identifying the symptoms of gender based violence. UNFPA is conducting highly successful trainings on 'Reproductive Health in Emergency Settings' and 'Screening and Management of Gender Based Violence' to health care providers' and 'Life Skills Development training' to most vulnerable adolescent girls and women.

The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department is under the direct responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel. Since 1992, the Commission has funded relief to millions of victims of natural and man-made disasters outside the EU. Aid is channelled impartially to the affected populations, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation. In the area of humanitarian aid, the Commission works with 200 operational partners, including specialized United Nation agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent movement and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The European Commission is one of the biggest sources of humanitarian aid in the world. In 2007 it provided 732 є for humanitarian programmes. This does not include the aid given separately by the EU's 27 Member States. Support went to projects in 60 countries. The funds are spent on goods and services such as food, clothing, shelter, medical provisions, water supplies, sanitation, emergency repairs and mine-clearing. The Commission also funds disaster preparedness and mitigation projects in regions prone to natural catastrophes. http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/

Currently UNFPA with financial support from European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) manages project Delivering Emergency Reproductive Health Services to Conflict Affected Populations of Nepal in three districts - Jumla, Bajura and Bajhang. The RH Mobile Camps organized as a part of this project are emergency measures and their primary goal is to deliver emergency reproductive health services to conflict affected populations of Nepal as reproductive health problems remain the leading cause of ill health and death for women of childbearing age. The project's moderate estimation's are to directly benefit 23,010 women of reproductive age, men, and adolescents living in three targeted districts over the one year period; per district, approximately, 7,670 beneficiaries, which include clients, patients and local health care providers.

Till now the total budget for ECHO funded projects has been US$ 0.8 million.