UNITED NATIONS : In order to provide life-saving reproductive health services and supplies, especially to the approximately 650,000 pregnant women among the 33 million displaced people, a top Pakistani diplomat has urged the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to step up its emergency response for flood-devastated Pakistan.
The UNFPA Country Programme for Pakistan (2023–2027) was adopted at a session of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNFPA, and UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), at which Ambassador Munir Akram spoke. He noted that up to 73,000 women who are due to give birth in the coming month will require skilled birth attendants, newborn care, and support.
The Pakistani envoy emphasised that any policy or program’s success depends on the target population’s wilful and determined participation and that it is crucial to take cultural particularities and sensitivities into careful consideration along with national priorities when putting the programme into action.
According to him, the Covid-19 pandemic, rising food and energy costs, and security issues have seriously hampered Pakistan’s capacity to meet the targets set for meeting the nutritional, health, and hygiene needs of the population, particularly those who are least able to meet them.
Noting that only US$ 23 million of the entire US$ 59 million allotted for the Country Programme would come from normal resources; the remaining US$ 36 million will need to come from co-financing and other sources.
