World Refugee day - Federation pledges greater support for reproductive health
Geneva, 19 June 2002

The world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, today marked World Refugee Day (June 20) by pledging to step up its reproductive health activities in favour of refugees and internally displaced persons and to combat sexual violence against girls and women in emergency situations.

These are some of the critical points in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed today between the secretary general of the International Federation, Didier Cherpitel, and the executive director, of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Thoraya Obaid, at the Geneva-based secretariat of the International Federation.

"We aim to build on our existing co-operation with the United Nations Population Fund by emphasising reproductive health needs in man-made or natural disasters when large population movements can take place and the vulnerability of women is greatly increased," said Cherpitel.

The two organisations propose to work together in emergencies to initiate and to strengthen reproductive health services including HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, provision of equipment and contraceptives, and to integrate these into the Primary Health Care services provided by the International Federation and its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Before the signing ceremony, Federation emergency health expert, Dr. Hakan Sandbladh, recalled that many important lessons on reproductive health in emergencies were learned during the Rwandan refugee crisis of 1994.

"Reproductive health in emergencies at that time was little more than providing condoms. But during the Rwandan crisis by engaging the refugee community in its own problems, we could provide decent reproductive health. We only needed to help them get organised and in that way we could reduce the vulnerability to sexual exploitation and violence," said Dr. Sandbladh.

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Denis McClean, Head of Media Service Tel: + 41 22 730 4428 / + 41 79 217 3357
Marie-Françoise Borel, Press Officer Tel: + 41 22 730 4346 / + 41 79 217 3345

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.