“This help was life-saving for me — I bought clothes for myself and my child, shoes, food, and building materials to repair an outdoor kitchen so that we can live there in the winter.”

Alina lost her home in a fire due to a tragic incident caused by her late, physically abusive husband. Financial assistance from UNFPA provided her with immediate relief and was a crucial step toward rebuilding her life in the Republic of Moldova. 

Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental human right — one that does not vanish in times of conflict, disaster, or displacement. Yet, during crises, it’s women and girls who often face life-threatening gaps in care because they lack the means to access lifesaving services.

UNFPA cash and voucher assistance helps women and girls overcome the financial barriers to accessing lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services during humanitarian emergencies — and support from donors like you ensures this lifeline can continue.

Will you make a gift to provide women and girls the means to access lifesaving services during their greatest time of need? The lifeline you can give could be the only form of humanitarian relief they receive, if at all.

For survivors of abuse and those at risk, cash assistance has become a lifeline, helping them break free from cycles of violence and build a new life for themselves.

Cash and voucher assistance can help survivors cover the costs of doctor fees, medicines, and diagnostic testing. It eases the financial burden of transportation, childcare, and income loss that often results while seeking care.

In 2022, when deadly floods devastated Bangladesh, in-hand and mobile cash assistance was provided to pregnant women to cover transportation and other related costs for obstetric emergencies. Cash given to women who delivered in health facilities helped support them and their newborns.

A family stands in waist-high water in the Satkhira District in Bangladesh, where some areas are flooded annually.

In the Philippines, UNFPA launched a program to engage vulnerable girls living in poor urban communities. Participants received a small conditional cash transfer after attending sessions where they learned how to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health. The program improved knowledge, informed decision-making, and promoted healthier behaviors, including increased medical check-ups and HIV/AIDS counseling.

Active in the Philippines since 1970, UNFPA supports sexual and reproductive health care access. In disadvantaged areas, UNFPA delivers core health services, family planning, and cash assistance.

When carefully designed and coordinated, cash supports dignity, choice, and continuity of care while complementing health systems and sexual and reproductive health programs.

When financial obstacles are removed, pregnant women are more likely to attend prenatal and postpartum visits, give birth safely in health facilities, continue HIV treatment, access care after sexual violence, and obtain contraception or menstrual supplies.

You have the power to make a difference. Every dollar you give provides vital support and services to women and girls enduring war and humanitarian crises worldwide. Will you make a lifesaving gift today to deliver care when and where it’s needed most?

Thank you for your compassion and support.

— USA for UNFPA