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War in Ukraine shocks global food supply, putting lives at risk
At 16, Thekra Obied was one more mouth to feed in her impoverished family, so they married her off to Ahmed, a wood collector 15 years older. At 19, she became pregnant with their first child, but they could barely…
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One woman’s winning idea in taking climate action harnesses the power of the sun
As a girl, Agnes Kimweri would visit her village’s sole medical dispensary in Tanzania and see a steady stream of motorcycles emitting noxious fumes dropping off patients. When she grew up, “I realized that the…
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Women and girls in South Sudan battle mounting sexual violence amid conflict and climate crises
An estimated 2.6 million people in South Sudan are at risk of gender-based violence in 2022, an alarming 25 per cent increase on 2021 estimates. Nearly 40 per cent of women and girls reported having to avoid essential…
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Hope on wheels: Emergency maternal health units reach farthest corners of the Philippines
Typhoon Rai demolished hundreds of thousands homes across the Philippines, splintering trees and forcing residents to run for their lives. Nearly four months on, many are still without stable housing or access to food…
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Risk of sexual violence, unintended pregnancy soars in crisis settings, new report highlights
UNITED NATIONS, New York/JUBA, South Sudan – Globally, an estimated half of all pregnancies are unintended, a recent UNFPA report highlights. But during a humanitarian crisis, the conditions that erode women’s ability…
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A 72-year-old refugee from Ukraine tells of a life left torn apart by war
In the midst of Russia’s bombardment of her hometown of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, 72-year-old Valentina Ejova made a decision that would divide her life into before and after. Over the course of a few hours, she…
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In her words: A heavy monsoon, a flooded hospital and twins on the way. A midwife’s story in Bangladesh
Shakila Parvin has been a UNFPA-trained midwife in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar since 2019. In Bangladesh, obstetric care during delivery by medically trained providers, which contributes to reducing maternal and…
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Ukrainian refugees build new lives far from home
Ivanna Povchenuik was four months pregnant when she and her two children fled their home in Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, leaving behind her 65-year-old father, who wished to stay. Their destination was Antwerp,…
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“I’ve grown a few years in 26 days”: A teenager’s life during wartime
On 24 February, 11th-grader Viktoria Kravets had a typical day planned: classes at top secondary school Gymnasium Prestige then meeting up with a friend after school. The night before, she had forgotten to set her alarm…
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