UN agency boosts support for displaced pregnant women
[ UN News Centre ]
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said today it is stepping up support for women and girls affected by the conflict in northern Sri Lanka, particularly those who are pregnant, amid disruptions to reproductive health services caused by ongoing fighting. UNFPA believes that at least 3,000 pregnant women have fled the fighting in recent days and some 350 of them will give birth in the next month. “In this overwhelming situation, it is important that women’s specific health concerns, from their hygiene needs to life-threatening complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, are not overlooked,” said UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka Lene K. Christiansen.