Baghdad, Iraq; 5 April 2021 - The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) contributed US$ 1.6 million to UNFPA for two years to provide integrated sexual reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) interventions in Iraq.

The funding will strengthen the capacity of national actors, working in the area of women empowerment, to respond to gender-based violence using a survivor-centred approach and provide access to quality mental health and psychosocial support to women and girls in need.  

The CERF grant will allow a scale-up of the mobile teams and deployment of community mobilisers to deliver integrated GBV and SRH services for internally displaced persons and returnees among the host community.

Dr Rita Columbia, UNFPA Representative, thanked CERF for their support. “We are extremely grateful to CERF for supporting our programmes that put women and girls’ needs first,’ she said.  “Women and girls are more determined than ever to have a dignified life, free of violence despite the humanitarian crisis in Iraq exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will allow us to continue to reach the most vulnerable."

The new contribution will bring Iraq one step closer to achieving transformative results for 2030: ending gender-based violence and harmful practices, ending unmet need for family planning and ending preventable maternal death, thus ensuring women and girls are protected and empowered to make informed choices and reach their full potential.

This funding is part of CERF’s first-ever allocation of US$25 million specifically to support GBV programming in 11 countries globally.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

For more information or media inquiries please contact: Salwa Moussa, Communications Specialist, smoussa@unfpa.org