The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for $1.4 billion in emergency funding to address critical sexual and reproductive health needs for more than 45 million people living in crisis-hit regions worldwide. With a record 122.6 million people displaced by conflict and disaster over the past year, the appeal underscores the urgent health and protection challenges facing women and girls in humanitarian contexts, where the risks of pregnancy complications and gender-based violence are drastically heightened UN News.
This surge in displacement, exacerbated by conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability, has particularly severe consequences for women and girls, who are often left without access to essential health services or safe spaces. The UNFPA’s appeal highlights that approximately 11 million pregnant women will require urgent support in 2025 alone, with many facing life-threatening risks due to inadequate prenatal and childbirth care. In addition, gender-based violence—including rape and exploitation—spikes sharply during emergencies, yet services to prevent and respond to such violence remain severely underfunded.
Previous years have already exposed a staggering 75 percent resource gap across 34 priority crisis countries, meaning countless women and girls have been left with unmet needs, sometimes resulting in fatal consequences. According to the UNFPA Executive Director, the funding appeal represents a call to the international community “to invest in the health and dignity of women and girls caught in crisis, and to help build a future free from fear and violence.”
Despite these challenges, UNFPA maintained its commitment in 2024 by reaching over 10 million people in crisis settings with reproductive health services and supplying gender-based violence prevention and response support to 3.6 million individuals in 59 affected countries. The agency mobilized thousands of midwives and medical teams, equipped 3,500 health facilities, and set up over 1,600 safe spaces for women and girls, though demand still vastly outpaces available resources.
UNFPA’s strategic priorities for 2025 focus on strengthening local and national health responses, enhancing emergency preparedness, and boosting humanitarian funding for local and women-led organizations from 35 percent to 43 percent. The organization also plans to expand the prepositioning of critical supplies in regional hubs worldwide, aiming for rapid, effective intervention when crises break out.
For Thailand and Southeast Asia, where recurring natural disasters, political unrest in neighboring regions, and refugee movements place ongoing strain on health systems, these global funding gaps carry immediate relevance. Thailand itself has periodically offered sanctuary to those fleeing violence in Myanmar and other countries, and Thai health authorities and non-governmental organizations frequently partner with UNFPA to provide reproductive health and protection services along the border regions UNFPA Asia-Pacific.
The risks for pregnant women in crisis-affected communities—whether in Thailand or elsewhere—include higher rates of maternal mortality, unsafe abortions, and untreated complications during childbirth. For example, the Thailand-Myanmar border has seen international agencies supporting comprehensive reproductive health programs in camps and host communities, but these remain vulnerable to funding cuts and shifting political landscapes UNHCR Thailand.
Globally, data indicate that the collapse of health systems in emergencies leads to dramatic setbacks in maternal and newborn health. A 2023 review published in The Lancet found that crisis conditions increase the incidence of preventable maternal and infant deaths by interrupting essential services and supplies The Lancet. In Thailand, maternal mortality rates have improved over the past decade thanks to national health coverage and outreach, but humanitarian emergencies remain a threat to maintaining this progress Thai Ministry of Public Health.
The UNFPA also draws attention to the rising threat of gender-based violence during crises. As UNFPA experts have noted, “Emergencies create an environment where perpetrators act with impunity, and resources for prevention and support are stretched thin.” Thai health officials and NGOs acknowledge similar risks, particularly in displacement and disaster scenarios, where social protections may break down and women’s and girls’ vulnerabilities increase WHO Southeast Asia.
Thailand’s experience with community-based networks—such as village health volunteers and women’s groups—shows the potential for empowering local actors. However, as UNFPA’s 2025 plan outlines, without direct investment in local and women-led organizations, scaling up swift and culturally sensitive responses remains a major obstacle. Boosting the share of humanitarian funding to such groups from 35% to 43% represents a key step toward more effective, equitable interventions.
Looking ahead, UNFPA’s emphasis on expanding prepositioned stockpiles of medical supplies—including clean delivery kits, contraceptives, and post-rape care supplies—could be vital in ensuring quick outreach during disaster strikes. Thai authorities will need to consider how regional collaboration, border health initiatives, and emergency preparedness planning can further integrate these best practices to protect at-risk populations, especially as the climate crisis is projected to increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters across Southeast Asia.
For Thai policymakers, humanitarian responders, and members of civil society, these trends serve as a timely reminder of the need for sustained investment, built-in contingency plans, and robust support networks to ensure sexual and reproductive health rights are not sidelined during emergencies. Concrete steps could include advocating for increased contributions to humanitarian appeals such as UNFPA’s; prioritizing women’s health and protection in national disaster response frameworks; and building partnerships with regional and international agencies for technical, material, and financial support.
In practical terms, Thai readers can contribute by supporting local NGOs engaged in refugee health and protection, volunteering with organizations providing services to vulnerable women and girls, and raising awareness of the critical importance of sexual and reproductive health rights for all—especially in times of crisis. As the UNFPA campaign makes clear, investing in women’s and girls’ health is not only a humanitarian imperative but also central to building resilient, inclusive societies.