|
Women refugees in disasters |
|
It is not unusual for maternal and infant mortality to rise and for opportunist abuse of the women to take place. Maternal and infant mortality rises as does the threat to the unborn child, and assaults on women.
Even those who are supposed to be taking care of them often abuse women. In some cases sex is demanded in exchange for food for the children. We can only praise the efforts of the International Community and hope the focus of attention in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster has kept such abuse to a minimum. A special care team should be established to protect women in such situations and provision made to ensure that the health and nutrition of expectant mothers: this is not current practice. Work by the Foundation for Burmese refugees in Thailand found no evidence from the nutrition of the women in the camps that would explain delayed visual maturation in the infants. It is plausible that the responsibility arose from the trauma associated with the displacement, which could have affected the development of the fetus. Vision is one of the earliest developments seen in the embryo. There needs to be a special commission by UNHCR to examine ways and means of guaranteeing the security of women in such disasters and ensure proper and relevant nutrition and health for young women of reproductive age and especially those pregnant and lactating. How often have you seen the television cameras focusing on the emaciated child or infant, even at the breast of its mother? They never spare a thought for the mother. Powerless, she is watching her child sink into death whilst she gives her last drops of milk that have already scavenged her body's resources for remaining nutrients. |
