Naomi Kitahara, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam, (left) hands over the kits to Thao Xuan Sung, Chairman of the Central Committee of Vietnam Farmers’ Union. (Photo courtesy of the UNFPA)Hanoi (VNA) - Over 5,700 dignity kits have been presented to femalemembers of the Vietnam Farmers Union (VFU) in the central provinces of HaTinh, Quang Binh and Quang Nam which were badly affected by recent floods.
NaomiKitahara, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam, onNovember 24 handed over the kits to Thao Xuan Sung, Chairman of the VFU CentralCommittee. The union will deliver the dignity kits to the women in need.
Thecountry’s central coastal region has suffered unprecedented flooding fromprolonged downpours and successive typhoons since early October, resulting inmore than 200 deaths so far, and displacing thousands of people. At least 5.5 million people in theregion have been affected, including an estimated 1.3 million women ofreproductive age with more than 92,000 of them pregnant.
Pregnancyand menstruation do not stop in emergencies, and as such uninterrupted servicesfor sexual and reproductive health must be provided for women and girls.And risks of violence against women and girls increase in a crisis, for whicheffective prevention and response must be immediately put in place.
Accordingto the joint rapid assessment carried out last month, in which UNFPA expertsplayed a lead role in the most affected areas of central Vietnam, the disasterhad forced women and girls to move into evacuation centres withouthaving the time to pack essential supplies. As a result, they were unable tomanage their hygiene properly and lacked access to basic needs such as sanitarypads, clothes and underwear. In addition, access to water and places to washand dry reusable pads and clothes, or to dispose used materials, was a problem.
Dignitykits are a signature product of the UNFPA's comprehensive package ofhumanitarian assistance to safeguard sexual and reproductive health and rightsof women and girls, mitigate the risk of gender-based violence, and respond andprotect the dignity of women and girls adversely affected by a crisis.
“Preservingdignity is essential to maintaining self-esteem and confidence, which isimportant to cope in stressful and potentially overwhelming humanitariansituations. A dignity kit comprises the basic items that women and girls needto protect themselves and maintain their basic hygiene, respect anddignity in the face of crisis,” said Kitahara at the handover ceremony./.
VNA
