As Borno State Government continues resettlement of displaced persons, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said it is committed to providing reproductive health services to people of the state.
Macauley Christian, the UNFPA Humanitarian Coordinator/Head of Maiduguri Office, reiterated the Fund’s determination in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.
He said UNFPA had continued to offer comprehensive services to displaced persons in camps.
He added: “we have continued the delivery of reproductive health services at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps through our supported facilities like the women and girls friendly spaces and integrated service points in the camps.
“These services continued despite the closure of some camps as the Borno Government gradually shuts IDP camps. We have to redeploy our teams to ensure that services continue at wherever the IDPs have been moved to.
“We want to ensure that reproductive health rights of women continue to be assured in the context of the displacement.
“In the area of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), as you know we are the lead agency of GBV prevention and response in emergency, we are still supporting inter agency efforts as far as gender violence is concerned by bringing together all partners to ensure that there is coordinated response.”
Christian added that the One Stop Centre provided by the Fund in Maiduguri would continue to be supported to provide multi-sectoral GBV services like mental health, psychosocial support, technical management of rape and medical care for GBV survivors.
According to him, UNFPA is also placing more emphasis on safety and security by building the capacity of some legal practitioners and para military that will support and ensure that survivors get justice.
