Emergency Settings
Conflict and natural disaster can have far reaching implications on the sexual and reproductive health and well being of women. In particular, forced displacement can put women and girls at increased risk of unwanted pregnancies, which may result in unsafe abortion resulting in unnecessary death or disability: The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 25-50% of maternal deaths in refugee settings are due to complications of unsafe abortion. (UNFPA 1999).
The high rate of abortion in northern Uganda, where armed conflict continued for over 20 years, has been directly linked to the breakdown of the health system and resulting lack of family planning. (Singh S et al. 2006).
Gender based violence, specifically rape, is known to increase during times of war, whether due to a breakdown in societal norms or as a tactic of war and may result in unwanted pregnancies.
While important progress has been made over the years in addressing women's health needs in emergencies, family planning and comprehensive abortion services are notably missing as part of the humanitarian response - this despite being among the most cost effective and efficient methods of saving lives and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Hence, much more can and needs to be done to save women and girl's lives in emergencies, including ensuring their human right to family planning and reproductive choice.