Humanitarian workers risk their lives to defend fundamental rights such as sexual and reproductive health and to ensure that everyone receives the information and services they need to maintain their health and well-being.
Today we pay tribute to their courage and commitment to protecting human rights, even in the most extreme situations.
Protecting fundamental rights to health and bodily autonomy remains critical during disasters. Without access to qualified health workers and basic services, the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls is at serious risk.
The impact is immediate and severe. The destruction of local clinics and hospitals can create a vacuum in health care. Pregnant women are exposed to life-threatening complications without access to prenatal and postnatal care or skilled birth attendants.
Survivors of gender-based violence face a lack of medical and psychosocial support, and their communities may experience an increase in unwanted pregnancies due to disrupted family planning and inadequate contraceptive services.
As humanitarian disasters become more severe due to climate change, the risks for women and girls are multiplying. Climate-related disasters destroy infrastructure, devastate economies, and massively disrupt or destroy the health services that people depend on.
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The presence of trained medical professionals can mean the difference between life and death. They not only provide immediate assistance, but also help stabilize the community and facilitate recovery and reconstruction.
Lamawng, for example. In an emergency shelter in a camp for internally displaced people in northern Myanmar, she transforms a makeshift room into a life-saving facility. As a midwife, Lamawng comforts pregnant mothers who are worried about their baby’s health.
Her training in performing emergency births with limited resources allows her to transform a simple tarp into a functional birthing space. In short, Lamawng saves lives – of mothers, babies and entire families. She is one of the many humanitarian champions we celebrate today.
In Asia and the Pacific, millions of people are displaced due to conflict, climate change or other disasters. As the most disaster-prone region in the world, Asia and the Pacific experienced over 140 disasters in 2022 alone, claiming over 7,500 lives and affecting over 64 million people.
Women and children are the ones who suffer the most from these disasters, as they are 14 times more likely to die than men due to a variety of factors related to existing inequalities.
In Bangladesh, I saw first-hand how the displaced Rohingya community – including women, youth and transgender people – in Cox’s Bazar are coping with numerous crises thanks to local health workers, counsellors and youth leaders who protect their basic rights. In Afghanistan, young people are central to the humanitarian response.
Through innovative data mapping, they track the distribution of resources and identify areas of need, ensuring that trained midwives can continue to be at the forefront of the fight for sexual and reproductive rights. Retired midwives from Fiji are now being sent to storm-ravaged areas as humanitarian first responders to meet the needs of women and girls in the Pacific when cyclones devastate clinics and hospitals.
By investing in these well-trained and dedicated health workers, especially in sexual and reproductive health, governments can uphold fundamental rights and ensure that all people receive the care they need and deserve – even in the face of climate disasters.
Our collective efforts to build more resilient systems require an approach that puts the needs of women and girls at the centre. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is working with governments across the region to train a network of humanitarian first responders and provide on-the-ground services that meet the unique needs of each country.
To speed up our response to disasters, we have deployed emergency supplies where they are most needed and trained thousands of midwives to perform emergency deliveries in crisis situations.
Prepositioning is a long-term approach that includes expertise and sustainable budget support. Health workers must be prepared for the challenges posed by disasters and have the skills to provide care under extreme circumstances.
Across the region, disaster responses are too often reactive rather than proactive. Governments and humanitarian organizations are left scrambling to meet health needs after a disaster, resulting in fragmented and inadequate care.
Forward-looking governments are increasingly adopting strategies that prioritize the availability of trained and experienced health workers. This shift requires investments in training, logistics and resource management, but pays off in a more robust and effective response to climate disasters.
When deployed proactively, health workers like Lamawng build community resilience. Effective sexual and reproductive health services meet acute health needs and support long-term recovery by promoting physical and mental wellbeing. Ensuring these services are available helps communities recover faster and emerge stronger from the crisis, with a greater capacity to withstand future crises.
While we celebrate humanitarian workers for their achievements, governments and civil society must act decisively to prepare for future emergencies. Humanitarian workers help ensure that all people can live with rights and choices, especially in emergencies. Investing in local, skilled health workers and their equipment is essential to respond effectively and save lives when climate disasters occur.
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The author is Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Asia and the Pacific.
