CONTINUING COVERAGE ON HAITI EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
IRIN reported on 9 March that many women at the Jean-Marie Vincent site for displaced people (IDPs) in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince wash themselves inside their makeshift tents because the only alternative is to do so out in the open. Given the overcrowding and meager security, this exposes them to the risk of attack or rape. Going to the site's latrines is also risky, especially at night, for there is no lighting and some toilets are isolated. "We have not yet reached a standard of organization that respects women's rights," said Smith Maximé of UNFPA. Read: IRIN
COLOMBIA: Tiempo reported on 13 March that UNFPA estimates that there are 63,000 pregnant women among those directly affected by the earthquake. In the aftermath of disasters, many women have no alternative but to give birth without proper care, often under unsanitary conditions. If complications arise, they can have fatal consequences and add more casualties to an already staggering death toll. Read in Spanish: Tiempo
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Diario Libre reported on 10 March that the Chamber of Deputies was visited by representatives of UNFPA to assess aid sent to Haiti from the Dominican Republic, a country that was hit by a powerful earthquake that destroyed 80 percent of the buildings and homes in Port au Prince. UNFPA officials also discussed issues including adolescent pregnancy, gender-based violence and youth employment in the Dominican Republic. Read in Spanish: Diario Libre