The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for $19.6 million to meet the needs of women and girls affected bythe Beirut port explosion, which resulted in the killing of at least 160 people, the injuring of around 6,000, and the displacement of more than 300,000 people.

Many of Beirut’s hospitals and healthcare centres have been damaged, and reports indicate that over 80 primary healthcare centres and nearly 15 hospitals have been affected by the blast, while three hospitals were fully destroyed.

Besides the financial and economic crisis that Lebanon is experiencing, the Beirut port explosion has created another huge crisis that Lebanon will take time to deal with.

The UNFPA is doubling its efforts in order to meet the needs of approximately 81,000 women of reproductive age, and 48,000 teenagers among the 300,000 who have been left homeless after the explosion.

As a lot of maternity wards have been affected, and the UNFPA is looking forward to delivering antenatal care services to those in need, including approximately 3,938 homeless pregnant women.

The UNFPA aims to collect the required funds in order to provide the needed services for pregnant women, such as comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning services, and antenatal and postnatal services.

Besides the previously mentioned services, the UNFPA is working on providing medicines, medical supplies and maternity supplies.

The UNFPA is also procuring medical equipment, medicines and supplies for affected health facilities and is supporting the provision of 25 percent of health procurement needs for the next six months, as identified by the World Health Organization.

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