The delivery of life-saving reproductive health services during and after a crisis is at the heart of UNFPA’s humanitarian and emergency response. With US $ 601,000 funding from the Government of Japan, UNFPA Kenya has launched a project aimed at building resilience amongst communities worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The new project dubbed “Hope Beyond Covid-19” will be implemented in Nairobi City and Turkana counties and will target those living in humanitarian settings, hard to reach and marginalized areas, as well as urban informal settlements.
Japan has been a long-standing partner to UNFPA, and we are excited to launch this project which will promote the reproductive health of communities, particularly here, in refugee camps, by supporting post-Covid-19 recovery efforts
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the health and livelihoods of communities, with women and girls disproportionately affected as a result of heightened vulnerabilities to gender-based violence (GBV), and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services. The Hope Beyond Covid-19 project will be implemented in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross, Healthcare Assistance Kenya, and Reach Alternatives to enhance coordination of sexual and reproductive health service delivery and gender-based violence prevention and response.
Speaking during the launch of the project at the Kakuma Refugee Camp located in Turkana County, the Japan Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Mr. Okaniwa Ken said, ‘Japan has been a long-standing partner to UNFPA, and we are excited to launch this project which will promote the reproductive health of communities, particularly here, in refugee camps, by supporting post-Covid-19 recovery efforts.’
In addition to strengthening the provision of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services in the two counties, the project will also equip vulnerable women with livelihood skills, and contribute toward strategies to cushion populations against the impacts of drought and the growing humanitarian needs in the country.
health and gender-based violence (GBV) services to refugee and host communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei
UNFPA will work with partners in government, civil society and the development sector to deliver on various activities including the provision of tele-counseling services through the national GBV helpline 1195, training of 200 community responders on sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response, and the renovation of health facilities to enhance basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) service delivery.
UNFPA Representative Anders Thomsen thanked the government and people of Japan for their continued support in accelerating progress for women and girls. “UNFPA’s partnership with the Government of Japan has won against many challenges that humanity faces across the world. We are committed to working with stakeholders in Turkana and Nairobi City county to ensure that this project delivers results for those who are most burdened by intersecting consequences of numerous crises,” said Mr. Thomsen.
The Government of Japan has since 2018 supported UNFPA in the provision of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services to refugee communities in the Kakuma Refugee Camp and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement. Through US$ 1 million funding from the 2018 Japan Supplementary Budget, UNFPA established GBV recovery centers in Kakuma and Kalobeyei that continue to serve thousands of women from the refugee and host communities with clinical, psychosocial, and referral services.
