The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) enables women to have healthy deliveries with mobile clinics in Ukraine, according to an official.
"We have mobile teams. We have mobile clinics where women can literally give birth in a kind of van outside that can move around depending on the situation of the war," UNFPA's Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Florence Bauer, told Anadolu.
Bauer said women can deliver in the van, receiving all medical support needed.
From the first day of the war, UNFPA has been present on the ground providing life-saving services, in particular to women and girls, she said.
"This includes for example, ensuring that woman can continue to have a safe birth because of course, women continue to be pregnant, and they need to receive all the medical support to be able to deliver in the best condition despite a difficult context," said Bauer.
UNFPA has mobile teams with psychologists who are going through different areas of countries and supporting women who are going through difficult situations, in particular, ones who have been victims of violence, she said.
"So, it is very important that the largest humanitarian response that we have in this region that I'm responsible for. And we will continue to work and to ensure that women and girls and also vulnerable populations receive the services that they need, despite this very terrible situation," she said.
The agency also works in neighboring countries, like Moldova, she said, adding that they provide different services on sexual reproductive health, gender-based violence and access to family planning to women coming from Ukraine.
"We promote empowerment, and job opportunities also for women and girls. So we have a life-saving huge humanitarian operation, which is done in coordination with other UN partners, and other actors," she said.
Bauer underlined the importance of re-establishing peace as quickly as possible, as it is fundamental for the population and in particular, for the most vulnerable groups like women and girls.
-UNFPA ROLE IN TÜRKİYE
Bauer said UNFPA has been in Türkiye for more than 50 years. As part of her first visit to Ankara, she said she met officials from different ministries, civil society, academics and international partners.
"I also had the opportunity to have a short conversation with the first lady where I shared with her that I was very much aware of the work that the government of Türkiye is doing to prevent violence against women. And I re-emphasized our commitment to support the country, support Turkey for the prevention and elimination of any kind of violence against women," she said.
The biggest objective of UNFPA is to work for the promotion of the rights of women in particular, she said, adding that the agency aims at zero maternal deaths, zero gender-based violence and accessible family planning for women.
"First of all, to recognize and congratulate what your case is doing, and also the response to refugees coming from other countries, as Turkey has a large number of refugees and is providing services and I had an opportunity to visit some of the services. And we also had an opportunity to discuss with the different ministers about our partnership," she added.
