The United Nations Population Fund has donated 2,000 dignity kits to internally displaced women and girls within reproductive age in Plateau.

The UN agency, which is in charge of reproductive health rights and gender-based violence in emergencies, made the donation on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, to the state government through its ministries of health and women affairs for onward distribution to the beneficiaries.

UNFPA’s Humanitarian Coordinator, Christian Sabum, who made the presentation to the commissioners of the ministries, said the dignity kit consisted of reusable sanitary pads, bathing and washing soaps, pants, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Mr Sabum listed other items to include a towel, wrapper, bucket, solar rechargeable torchlight, mat, hand sanitiser, and a whistle.

According to him, they are basic things that will cater for the hygiene needs of women and girls, who are mostly at the receiving end of conflicts, and who often flee conflict areas without the basic necessities that they need to maintain their dignity.

The humanitarian coordinator said the kits were meant to cater for those needs for three months, and that the UNFPA would reissue the same kits after that period.

He said the agency was in the state to support the government’s effort in responding to the dire needs of IDPs in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of the state, following attacks on the communities.

Mr Sabum said that, as part of UNFPA’s Standard Operational Procedure, a NEEDS assessment was conducted to understand where the gaps were and to see how best the agency could complement the government’s efforts.

According to him, the assessment identified some gaps in different areas that are of concern to the UNFPA, especially in the areas of reproductive and maternal health.

He stated that the other gaps identified were in the areas of protection for women and girls living in IDP camps, pointing out that the level of safety and security was highly compromised.

He noted that the risks of abuse and gender-based violence were high in such camps, thus there was a need to have a strengthened system that would ensure that displaced women and girls were protected.

Mr Sabum said that the UNFPA, in its efforts to address the identified needs, would be building the capacity of healthcare workers to enable them to provide effective maternal healthcare in camps and to also assist them in providing clinical services in cases of abuse such as rape.

According to him, the agency will also ensure that the training of healthcare workers to provide mental health and psychosocial support services.

“We want to ensure that the healthcare workers in the state, especially those at the frontline of response, have strengthened capacity to provide mental health services to the IDPs, who are usually traumatised. UNFPA will build their capacity to respond to the health needs of the entire population, but particularly focusing on women and girls, because those are the most vulnerable,” Mr Sabum said.

Mr Sabum, who said the UNFPA would be supporting the establishment of a one-stop centre that would provide multi-senatorial services and safe space for women and girls, explained that the agency would be reviewing the six-month plan to assess its success and sustainability.

Responding, Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Cletus Bako, who received the team, commended the UNFPA for its support for Plateau and assured the agency that the vulnerable population would be catered for.

Mr Bako assured the agency of the ministry’s willingness to partner with donor agencies to enhance the growth and protection of Plateau people, particularly the vulnerable population.

Similarly, Plateau’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Caroline Darfur, appreciated the UN agency for its kind gesture.

Mr Darfur assured UNFPA that the vulnerable women and girls at the various IDP camps across the state would be the sole beneficiaries of the dignity kits. 

(NAN)