UN urges greater attention to plight of Haiti’s vulnerable women

UNITED NATIONS (CMC) – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for greater attention to women’s vulnerability in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.

The calls come even as a senior official of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) says Haiti needs support to restore and rebuild its health services at various levels, ranging from cholera treatment centres to community health centers to major hospitals.

“Our urgent task is to protect the health and rights of women and girls, and to ensure that their basic needs, which are often overlooked in humanitarian situations, are quickly met,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin.

The hurricane, which hit the French-speaking Caribbean country on October 4, caused widespread damage and hundreds of deaths.

In the worst-affected areas in Haiti, the UN said the devastation of health facilities and lack of adequate shelter have left women in urgent need of health and protection services.

Of the 2.1 million people affected, about 546,000 are women of reproductive age, with an estimated 13,650 of them expected to give birth in the next three months, according to UNFPA. The agency also estimates that 10,920 women and adolescent girls are at risk of sexual violence.

A recent joint evaluation, with the Haitian ministries of public health and women’s affairs in the two worst-affected departments of Grand’Anse and Nippes, found that 23 of 26 facilities were affected, according to the UN.

It said that of 11 facilities in Grand’Anse alone, two were completely destroyed, two were closed, none have power or water, and all require health workers.

While the international community is responding to the crisis, the UN said women and girls face increased risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth, and of gender-based violence.

Meanwhile, the PAHO representative in Haiti, Dr Jean-Luc Poncelet, said the French Caribbean Community country needs support to restore and rebuild its health sector.

“The Government faces challenges in restoring health facilities in affected areas, and urgent repairs to restore functionality have been identified,” he said, noting that in at least one area, 28 per cent of health facilities sustained severe damage, and eight per cent are closed, while in another area 43 per cent of health facilities were severely damaged and seven per cent are closed.

Of the 74 cholera and acute diarrhoea treatment facilities in Haiti, 34 are fully functional, while 40 sustained various levels of damage, Poncelet said.

The Ministry of Public Health here said that restoring health services to a functional level requires not only fixing structures, but providing electricity and water and sanitation, as well as helping many health workers who themselves have been severely affected by the hurricane’s destruction,

Poncelet said the ministry is responding to the outbreak, with the support of many non-governmental organisations and other partners, but additional support is crucial to make damaged health facilities operational again.

“We are grateful for the support we have received from the European Commission, from USAID (United States Agency for International Development), France, Holland, Spain, Canada, Andalusia and Botswana. The major needs are to renovate existing health structures with durable repairs, to increase humanitarian assistance to rural areas, and to improve water quality and sanitation,” he added.

The latest figures from the Haitian Government show that 175,509 Haitians are still living in shelters, while more than 1.4 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.