UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warns that, with worsening socio-economic conditions, new conflicts -added to those that were already active-, and the lack of humanitarian funds, the risk of that displaced women and girls suffer gender violence.

“Forcibly displaced people are suffering the ravages of a toxic mix of various crises, including conflict, climate change, skyrocketing costs and the effects of the war in Ukraine. This can be seen all over the world, but women and girls bear the brunt,” said Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Many refugees and internally displaced people are unable to meet basic needs due to inflation, coupled with limited humanitarian assistance being provided due to limited funding and disruption to supply chains.

Displaced women and girls are often the most vulnerable to crises, due to loss of assets and livelihoods, disruption of community support networks, and the fact that they are often excluded from education and other types of national social protection. Faced with food shortages and rising prices, many women and girls are forced to make heartbreaking choices in order to survive.

“After depleting their savings, many people skip meals; they send their daughters and sons to work instead of going to school; and, in some cases, they have no choice but to beg or engage in the sale or exchange of sex to survive. Too many people are exposed to increased risk of exploitation, trafficking, child marriage and gender-based violence,” Grandi said.

In refugee populations in Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, UNHCR has detected serious nutritional problems, including anemia, acute malnutrition and stunted growth. In southern and eastern Africa, food rations have been limited for more than three quarters of refugees who are unable to meet basic needs. In Syria, 1.8 million people in displacement camps face severe food insecurity, while nine out of ten Syrian refugees in Lebanon cannot afford essential food or services.

In the Americas, half of the forcibly displaced people can barely eat two meals a day and, according to UNHCR data, three quarters of these people have reduced the quantity or quality of their food. On the other hand, food insecurity is expected to worsen further in Yemen and the Sahel, with millions of internally displaced people in countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan falling into situations where 90% of the population will not be able to consume enough food.

There is a horrifying and pernicious cycle of famine and insecurity, compounding each other, while at the same time increasing the risks faced by women and girls, as harmful survival strategies are adopted in communities around the world.

Cases have been reported of girls being forced to marry so that their family can buy food, which is shocking. In East Africa and the Horn of Africa, child marriages, which are used to release pressure on family income, are on the rise. Droughts have also exacerbated the risks of sexual violence, as women and girls are forced to travel greater distances to collect firewood or water.

Although the need for programs to address gender-based violence has never been more pressing, UNHCR is concerned that funding does not match the reality of these needs. UNHCR has detected that globally, the needs for 2023 for programs to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence amount to some $340 million dollars (USD), that is, the highest figure on record.

This year, the UN theme for the 16 Days of Activism revolves around uniting to end violence against women and girls. Within the framework of this theme, so that refugees and forcibly displaced people can meet their basic needs, UNHCR urges donors not only to support essential services for the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence, but also to provide funds for humanitarian programs that save lives.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees