Lao pdr: On World Humanitarian Day, Pio Smith, the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized the urgent need for investment, local solutions, and the protection of health services to support women, girls, and frontline responders in the world's most disaster-prone region.
According to Lao News Agency, the situation is dire from flood-hit villages in Nepal to conflict-affected areas in Myanmar, where midwives, doctors, and community responders are saving lives in challenging conditions. These humanitarians operate in conflict zones, climate disaster areas, and displacement camps with limited resources and face constant threats of violence.
In Myanmar, millions of women and girls remain displaced within the country and neighboring states. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the mass exodus of the Rohingya to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the world's largest refugee settlement. Humanitarians there continue to work tirelessly to protect the rights and dignity of those affected.
The global funding cuts to UNFPA six months ago have had far-reaching impacts, resulting in the closure of maternal health clinics, suspension of mobile health teams, and delays in delivering essential reproductive health supplies. These cuts have left millions without critical services, which for some, are a matter of life and death.
Simultaneously, attacks on healthcare are escalating. The previous year was the deadliest on record for aid workers, with the majority of casualties being national staff. Over 1,600 attacks on healthcare workers were recorded globally, including incidents in Iran, Myanmar, and Pakistan, leading to the deaths of more than 900 patients and health workers. These attacks are a violation of international humanitarian law, yet impunity prevails. Leaders are urged to protect healthcare as a core humanitarian principle, integrate it into national legislation and military rules of engagement, and hold perpetrators accountable.
Targeted or disrupted healthcare services disproportionately affect women and girls. Pregnant women face life-threatening emergencies without access to obstetric care, and survivors of gender-based violence lose access to essential support and treatment. In many conflicts, sexual violence is weaponized, exacerbating the trauma and risks faced by women and girls. Health and protection facilities for women have become battlegrounds with deadly consequences.
Asia and the Pacific see millions displaced each year by floods, earthquakes, and conflict. Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of emergencies, uprooting entire communities, destroying homes, and impacting women and girls the most. This silent crisis is marked by mental health issues, trauma, and a loss of dignity.
In a flood-hit rural province of Lao PDR, a midwife named Soudaly exemplified the quiet heroism of local responders. She waded through waist-deep water to reach a temporary shelter for displaced families, carrying clean delivery kits for pregnant women due to give birth soon. Her determination highlights the crucial role of local responders who are the first to act during disasters.
UNFPA supports local health workers, volunteers, and community responders. In 2024, the agency aided 46 emergencies in 16 countries across Asia and the Pacific, reaching millions of women and girls. By partnering with national and women-led organizations, UNFPA fosters locally led, inclusive responses. However, localization without resourcing is ineffective. Predictable, multi-year funding is essential to build resilient health systems, support midwives and frontline workers, pre-position life-saving supplies, and protect health workers from harm.
The scale of current emergencies necessitates a new humanitarian action paradigm that protects health workers and facilities, upholds international humanitarian law, and invests in local solutions. Attacks on healthcare must end, and governments and donors must provide the necessary resources to meet rising needs. It is imperative to speak up and support the principles of humanitarian actions, ensuring the safety of innocent civilians and frontline workers.
On this World Humanitarian Day, the call to action is clear: stand with those like Soudaly, the midwife wading through floodwaters, the health worker delivering care amid conflict, and the youth volunteer supplying remote communities. Their courage should be matched by political will, protection, and sustained funding to save lives.