Humanitarians risk their lives to protect fundamental rights, such as sexual and reproductive health, and ensure that all individuals have access to the information and services they need to maintain their health and well-being.
Today we celebrate their courage and determination to defend human rights in the most challenging circumstances.
Protecting fundamental rights to health and bodily autonomy remains crucial when disasters strike. Without access to skilled medical professionals and essential services, women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health is at grave risk.
The impacts are immediate and severe. The destruction of local clinics and hospitals can create health care vacuums. Pregnant women will face life-threatening complications without access to pre- and post-natal care or skilled birth attendants.
Victims of gender-based violence may lack access to medical and psychosocial support, and communities may experience a surge in unintended pregnancies due to disruptions to family planning and contraceptive services.
The risks to women and girls are magnified as the impacts of climate change intensify humanitarian disasters, destroying infrastructure, devastating economies and severely disrupting or destroying the health services on which people rely.
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The presence of trained medical professionals can mean the difference between life and death. Not only do they provide immediate treatment, they also help stabilize communities and facilitate recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Take Lamaung, for example, who is transforming makeshift spaces into life-saving facilities in temporary shelters in camps for internally displaced people in northern Myanmar. As a midwife, she comforts pregnant women worried about the health of their babies.
Trained to perform emergency births with limited resources, she is able to transform a simple tarp into a functional birthing space. Simply put, Lamaun saves the lives of mothers, babies, and entire families. She is one of the many humanitarian advocates we celebrate today.
Conflict, climate change and other disasters have forced millions of people to flee across the Asia-Pacific region. As the world's most disaster-prone region, Asia-Pacific will experience more than 140 disasters in 2022 alone, killing more than 7,500 people and affecting more than 64 million people.
Women and children bear the brunt of these disasters, being 14 times more likely to die than men, due to a range of factors resulting from existing inequalities.
In Bangladesh, I have seen firsthand how displaced Rohingya communities in Cox's Bazar – including women, youth and transgender people – are responding to multiple crises while protecting their fundamental rights, thanks to local health workers, counselors and youth leaders. In Afghanistan, young people are at the heart of the humanitarian response.
Through innovative data mapping, they track resource allocation, identify areas in need of support and ensure trained midwives remain at the frontline of the fight for sexual and reproductive rights. A retired midwife from Fiji is now a humanitarian first responder deployed to storm-devastated areas to meet the needs of women and girls in the Pacific Islands when the cyclone devastated clinics and hospitals.
By investing in trained and committed health professionals, especially in sexual and reproductive health services, governments can protect fundamental rights and ensure that every individual can access the care they need and deserve, even in the midst of a climate disaster.
Our collective efforts to build more resilient systems require approaches that put the needs of women and girls at the heart of the work. UNFPA is working with governments across the region to train a network of humanitarian emergency responders and localize services to meet the specific needs of each country.
To respond quickly to disasters, we pre-positioned emergency supplies where they were needed most, and we trained thousands of midwives to respond to emergency births in crisis situations.
Preparedness is a long-term approach that involves expertise and ongoing budgetary support. Healthcare workers need to be prepared for the challenges posed by disasters and have the skills to provide care in extreme conditions.
Across the region, disaster responses have been too reactive rather than proactive, with governments and humanitarian organisations overwhelmed with responding to post-disaster medical needs, resulting in fragmented and inadequate healthcare.
Far-sighted governments are shifting strategies to prioritize availability of trained and experienced medical professionals. This shift requires investments in training, logistics and resource management, but the payoff will be stronger and more effective responses to climate disasters.
The proactive deployment of health professionals like Lamaun makes communities more resilient. Effective sexual and reproductive health services address acute health needs and support long-term recovery by promoting physical and mental health. Ensuring these services are available helps communities recover faster, become stronger, and increase their ability to withstand future crises.
While celebrating the contributions of humanitarians, governments and civil society must take decisive action to prepare for future emergencies. Humanitarians contribute to ensuring everyone has the rights and choices they need, especially in emergencies. Investing in and equipping local, skilled medical professionals is essential to respond effectively and save lives when climate disasters strike.
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The author is Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
