Between December 2019 and March 2020, Kenya experienced the worst locust infestation in 70 years. Hundreds of thousands of people were also affected by floods in 2020. Climate hazards drive displacement and exacerbate the risk of food insecurity, malnutrition and disease outbreaks. In addition, Kenya hosts over half a million refugees, mainly from Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia. Many crisis-affected people lack access to life-saving services such as prenatal care, skilled birth attendance and services for survivors of gender-based violence. UNFPA is working to improve availability of and access to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services in crisis-affected areas, including refugee camps.

Madagascar has been facing multiple crises, including floods in the North and Northwest of the country and severe drought and food insecurity in the south. A multiplicity of factors, including high levels of food insecurity, poor accessibility and availability of health services and a lack of safe water and sanitation, contribute to high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. Many health facilities lack the capacity to provide basic emergency obstetric care. Additionally, nearly one in three Malagasy women is reported to have suffered some type of gender-based violence in her life. UNFPA leads the GBV sub-cluster in Madagascar as well as the sexual and reproductive health/Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) working group.

Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world and is vulnerable to weather-related disasters, including droughts, floods and cyclones. High dependence on agriculture exacerbates the impact of climate shocks, which contribute to failing harvests. Food insecurity forces women and girls to travel longer distances to collect food and water, thereby exposing them to increased risk of gender-based violence. UNFPA provides sexual and reproductive health services to people affected by crisis and supports GBV prevention and response mechanisms in Malawi.

Escalating conflict has driven large-scale displacement and exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique. Conflict-related violence, including sexual violence, has intensified. The country also grapples with climate-related disasters, including twin cyclones Kenneth and Idai in 2019, massive flooding in 2020 and cyclone Eloise in early 2021, all of which have left major damage. High numbers of COVID-19 cases compound existing needs. Key components of UNFPA’s response include provision of gender-based violence services and support for mobile sexual and reproductive health brigades to reach the most inaccessible populations.

In 2019, Namibia experienced one its driest seasons ever, resulting in severe drought that left hundreds of thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance. UNFPA has been implementing interventions aimed at preventing gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and promoting health, autonomy and dignity of women and adolescent girls in affected regions. UNFPA support also includes distribution of dignity kits to support people in meeting their urgent hygiene needs and of reproductive health kits, which contain key supplies to facilitate timely provision of appropriate reproductive health services during crises.

Eswatini has greatly been affected by drought which has resulted in food insecurity and with the most affected population groups being very poor. These have lost their crops and have seen their income reduced due to chronic illness or death of bread winner, and  lost of employment as a result of the drought. Pockets of very poor and poor households that, until recently, have relied on food and cash assistance deserve close monitoring are still evident. Food prices remain significantly higher than the period previous to the drought. Its is estimated that 159,080 people are prohjected to be in need of urgent of food assistance( Vulnerability Analysis and Assessment (VAA), 2017)

Uganda continues to host the largest number of refugees in Africa, mostly from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Somalia. Refugees face food insecurity, malnutrition, and limited access to safe sanitation, livelihood opportunities and health care, including prenatal care. UNFPA is focused on responding to acute needs and empowering women, girls and young people in refugee-hosting and flood-affected districts. Services provided include maternal health care, family planning, HIV/STI services and GBV case management.

The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is driven by climate-related crises and macro-economic challenges, including cash shortages and hyperinflation. Resource constraints endanger the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls and heighten the risk of gender-based violence. UNFPA in Zimbabwe supports efforts to prevent and mitigate the risk of GBV, strengthen the capacity of humanitarian actors in GBV preparedness and response, and ensure access to essential SRH and GBV services in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

Years of armed conflict and chronic underdevelopment have left over 7 million people in South Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance. Needs have been intensified by severe flooding and by COVID-19, which has strained the country’s already fragile health system. Access to antenatal and delivery care is limited; South Sudan’s maternal mortality is one of the highest in the world. UNFPA provides sexual and reproductive health services to affected populations, including in Protection of Civilian sites, and has a network of one-stop centres that provide integrated services to survivors of gender-based violence.