SRHR for All Includes People Affected by Humanitarian Crises

No country or community is immune to threats of escalating global crises. Conflict, climate, change, food insecurity, and health outbreaks disrupt access to essential sexual and reproductive health care and increase risks of maternal mortality, unintended pregnancies and gender-based violence. Progress has been made to elevate SRH as a lifesaving and core element of emergency response, and the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) has been deployed in crises ranging from Sudan, Ukraine, DRC, and Mozambique since the 2022 ICFP.

Countries affected by cyclical and often overlapping crises, including those in Central and South America, have prioritized SRH in humanitarian response and invested in preparedness policies and systems that ensure more efficient and locally led response and recovery efforts.

Why We Focus on Family Planning and SRHR in Humanitarian and Crisis Settings

• Increased risks of unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion and maternal mortality as health services are disrupted and people are displaced and forced on the move
• SRH services are not always considered lifesaving and may be sidelined or delayed in favor of other interventions
• Funding for FP and SRH is lower in humanitarian settings compared to stable settings

Progress in SRHR in Humanitarian and Crisis Settings Since ICFP 2022

• Minimum package of SRH services (MISP) has been deployed to more emergencies than ever, led by WHO Global Health Cluster, INGOs, local governments and CSOs
• 75% of all FP2030 commitments include an emergency preparedness and response component, for example, to invest in MISP readiness or increase FP access to refugees and displaced people.
• Countries have invested in MISP readiness through assessment and action plans
• Country policies have been updated to include SRH in disaster planning