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“The pain and loss were overwhelming”: As gender-based violence rises in Gaza, case workers tell of harrowing conditions
GAZA STRIP, Occupied Palestinian Territory – “There’s been a sharp increase in survivors seeking help,” said Suhair, who works at a safe space for women and girls in Gaza’s central Deir El-Balah Governorate.
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Lack of reproductive rights and choices undermines a generation of young people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo – “I wanted three children,” Ombeni Mburano, 31, told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. “I've already had five, and the sixth is coming soon. I never…
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Gender equality as a path to empowerment for refugee women and survivors of sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina
TUZLA, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jasna* was just 19 years old when war broke out in her home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. In fear for her life, she hid in the basement of a neighbour’s house, near the town…
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“A point of no return”: An urgent call to support women and girls in Haiti
Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – “I gave birth on the ground at the camp with the help of a woman. She is still asking me for money because I couldn't pay her,” 18-year-old Jeanette* told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual…
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“As widespread as guns and bullets”: Sexual violence used to terrorize Sudan’s women and girls
GEDAREF STATE, SUDAN – “Every woman and girl here is at risk, no matter her age or background. No one is safe,” said Khadija*, a midwife at a maternity clinic in Sudan’s eastern Gedaref State.
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The fertility fallacy: Five things you didn’t know about global fertility rates
UNITED NATIONS, New York – “Do you want kids?” Every day, people around the world ask themselves, and others, this question. But it also begs another: “Do you feel able to have children?”
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From natural process to nightmare: How Gaza’s women and girls cope with their periods in a war zone
Palestine, State of
GAZA STRIP, Occupied Palestinian Territory – “Sometimes I need pads and soap more than I need food,” said Aisha*, a young displaced girl in Gaza, revealing a serious burden too often overlooked in crisis settings –…
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Don’t let the lights go out: UNFPA urges support for women and girls in the world’s most neglected crises
UNITED NATIONS, New York – In 2025, as crises multiply and conflicts become increasingly protracted, humanitarian aid budgets are being slashed across the board. Yet in many emergency settings, it is ordinary people –…
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The waiting game: How a maternity home in Namibia is offering women and newborns a better chance at surviving – and thriving
Namibia
KUNENE REGION, Namibia – Kuliua Maundu, 26, remembers the night seven years ago like it was yesterday. “I was at home when the pain started,” she said. “I thought it was just labour, so I tried to sleep, thinking I…
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As famine looms in Gaza, pregnant women and newborns face life-threatening health risks
Palestine, State of
GAZA STRIP, Occupied Palestinian Territory – “There’s a severe shortage of food and essential medicines, particularly during this siege,” said a doctor at Al-Awda Hospital, in Gaza’s central Deir Al-Balah governorate. “…
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Front-line midwives: Three reasons to support these humanitarian health workers amid a global funding crisis
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – “This week, I assisted 19 deliveries – two of which were life-threatening emergencies,” said Espérance, a midwife at Kyeshero General Hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We…
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How health workers in Indonesia are transforming care for survivors of gender-based violence
Indonesia
JAVA/LOMBOK ISLANDS, Indonesia – The districts of Brebes, Lombok Timur and Serang may be geographically distant, but they share a common struggle: The silence surrounding gender-based violence, as stigma and…
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