Nairobi, 27th June 2023- The Government of the Philippines and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, have signed a $50,000 agreement toward drought response in Garissa County. The funding provided through the Embassy of the Philippines in Kenya will support UNFPA’s efforts to strengthen the provision of sexual and reproductive health as well as gender-based violence prevention and response services for women and girls grappling with the dire consequences of Kenya’s worst drought emergency in four decades.
The prolonged drought has left 5.4 million people in need of relief assistance across the 23 Arid and Semi-Arid Land counties, including 142,000 pregnant and lactating women. UNFPA estimates that 1.4 Million women of reproductive age face limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, with 121,755 of them currently pregnant and an additional 28,080 at risk of sexual violence.
Expressing their commitment to gender equality and the well-being of women and girls affected by emergencies, the Philippines Ambassador to Kenya, Ms. Marie Charlotte G. Tang, stated, "we are obliged to stand in solidarity with the people of Kenya during this time when they face an unprecedented climate change-induced emergency. "
Leveraging the resources provided by the Embassy of the Philippines, UNFPA will prioritize improved access to maternal health and GBV services in Garissa County, including the refugee camps. UNFPA Deputy Representative Dr. Abiodun Oyeyipo said that the funding will be deployed towards life-saving interventions that promote resilient health systems and practices." We are pleased to work with the Government of the Philippines to meet the urgent reproductive health and protection needs of women and girls who bear a disproportionate burden of extreme weather events such as the drought,” said Dr. Oyeyipo.
Nearly 80 percent of Kenya’s land mass commonly referred to as the Arid Semi-Arid Land is prone to drought. Despite experiencing significant rainfall during the March, April, and May long rains season, the impact of this severe drought will continue to hamper access to sexual and reproductive health services, leaving the affected population vulnerable to various forms of gender-based violence.
To meet soaring needs, UNFPA is scaling up the delivery of life-saving reproductive health and protection services and supplies in Kenya’s drought-affected counties. However, funding remains insufficient, with additional resources urgently required to reach all women and girls with the necessary support. So far, UNFPA has received 10 percent of the estimated US$35 million required for an effective response that addresses maternal deaths, the unmet need for family planning, and protection against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.
