UN to provide urgent psychosocial support, reproductive healthcare for Chibok girls

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says it has prepositioned counsellors to provide urgent psychosocial support and reproductive health services for the 21 rescued Chibok girls.

This is contained in a statement Friday, by the Executive Director of UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin.

The statement said the service would cover the rescued girls and other affected girls from the North East crisis ridden region.

It welcomes the release of the 21 Chibok school girls who were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

The statement commended the Government of Nigeria on its commitment towards the liberation of more girls and other survivors who have been abducted.
It said UNFPA calls for and anticipates the release of more abducted girls, boys and women.

The statement added that the fund was also ready to continue working with governments and other partners to immediately meet their sexual and reproductive health needs, including psychosocial support and counselling.

“Amidst the crisis, UNFPA provides reproductive health kits that contain live-saving commodities to bridge the gap so affected women and girls continue to have access to sexual and reproductive health services.

“Beyond physical health there is the trauma the women and adolescent girls endure and the violence they face when emergencies occur.
“UNFPA responds by providing psychosocial support and counselling to survivors to begin the process of healing and rehabilitation,” it said.

According to the statement, since the commencement of the fund intervention to Boko Haram crises in 2014, UNFPA has assisted the safe delivery of 87,910 pregnancies in the crisis-affected states.

“It also provided psychosocial support to more than 174,118 survivors.”

The statement noted that Boko Haram conflict continues to pose a major human security challenge in Nigeria.

“The conflict, which started in 2009, has predominantly affected the States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; destroying health systems, schools and infrastructure.

“Lives and livelihoods have also been destroyed, with about 1.8 million people internally displaced, 7,000 women and girls kidnapped and about 30,000 people dead.”