COLOMBO, – To help ensure that the health, safety, and dignity of women and girls remain protected during emergencies and disasters, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today handed over emergency supplies worth USD 250,641 to the Ministry of Health, to strengthen disaster preparedness. This initiative was made possible with the generous support by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.
The official handover ceremony, held at the Family Health Bureau, brought together key leaders from government, humanitarian, and diplomatic missions, including Hon. Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media; His Excellency David Pine, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka; Ruth Baird, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka; Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media; Dr. Vindya Kumarapeli, Deputy Director-General of Health Services; Dr. Chandima Sirithunga, Director of the Family Health Bureau; Phuntsho Wangyel, Representative a.i. of UNFPA Sri Lanka; and representatives from the Disaster Management Centre.
As disasters including climate-induced floods, landslides, and extreme weather become more frequent across Sri Lanka, women and girls routinely face disproportionate risks. Beyond the destruction of infrastructure, disasters also disrupt essential maternal healthcare, cut off access to basic hygiene products, and heighten the risk of gender-based violence. To directly counter these vulnerabilities, the emergency supplies handed over today are designed to address immediate physical, clinical, and protection needs on the ground.
The emergency package features:
08 High Performance Tents, including three equipped with solar-powered lighting systems, to serve as Emergency Safe Spaces for Maternal and Women’s Care. These multi-purpose, rapid-response humanitarian shelters provide safe, dignified, and functional temporary spaces for women, pregnant women and mothers to access essential maternal care, protection, referrals, psychosocial and livelihood support during disasters and emergencies.
999 Midwifery Go-Bags for Public Health Midwives providing them with portable, essential medical tools to deliver life-saving maternal care;
1,283 Maternity Kits containing essential care items for safe delivery and newborn health;
246 Elderly Kits designed for the specific hygiene and mobility needs of older women;
1,659 Dignity Kits containing essential hygiene supplies to support women and girls to manage their menstruation in displacement settings.
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, these specialized resources will be strategically pre-positioned in districts that are most vulnerable to disasters. The aim of pre-positioning these supplies is to avoid severe logistical delays caused by damaged roadways or overwhelmed local infrastructure during an active emergency, ensuring frontline responders have life-saving tools immediately at hand.
Highlighting the importance of national emergency readiness, Hon. Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media, said, “Building a resilient health sector requires strong, proactive measures before disasters strike. Partnering with UNFPA and with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand has enabled us to enhance our local healthcare capacity, ensuring that maternal and child healthcare, along with protection services, remain uninterrupted even during the most severe emergencies.”
Reinforcing the joint commitment, His Excellency David Pine, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka, added, “Effective disaster management relies on foresight and coordination. New Zealand’s support reflects our commitment to helping Sri Lanka build inclusive resilience, ensuring that vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, older persons, and young girls, are protected during times of displacement.”
Underscoring regional solidarity and humanitarian support, Ruth Baird, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka, said, “Australia is proud to stand alongside Sri Lanka in strengthening disaster preparedness and response systems that are both comprehensive and inclusive. Protecting the safety and dignity of women and girls during crises is essential to community recovery. By pre-positioning these targeted humanitarian supplies, we are ensuring life-saving support will rapidly reach those who need it most, when they need it most.”
Reflecting on the evolving needs of vulnerable communities in times of disasters, Phuntsho Wangyel, UNFPA Representative a.i. in Sri Lanka said, “In times of crisis, sexual and reproductive healthcare needs do not stop, nor does our social responsibility to keep women and girls safe. By pre-positioning these resources directly in vulnerable communities, we are ensuring that when disaster strikes, frontline teams can provide time critical life saving services immediately, safeguarding dignity, health, and safety of women and girls who are among the most vulnerable.”
Together
