UNFPA says over 53,000 people accessed reproductive health, GBV services in 2025

JUBA – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in South Sudan says it has provided sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services to more than 53,000 people across the country so far this year, amid persistent insecurity and large-scale displacement.

Speaking on Tuesday during the opening of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNFPA annual review meeting in Juba, UNFPA Emergency Coordinator Hussein Hassan said a total of 53,792 individuals had been reached through joint interventions implemented with national and international partners.

The review meeting brought together representatives from KOICA Uganda, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and South Sudan’s ministries of Health; Gender, Child and Social Welfare; and Youth and Sports. It was held under the theme “Strengthening Integrated SRH and GBV Services in Emergency Settings in South Sudan: Voices from the Grassroots.”

Hassan said the progress was achieved despite significant operational challenges, including limited infrastructure, ongoing conflict, population displacement, and access constraints in several parts of the country. He noted that coordinated action among humanitarian actors had helped sustain essential services in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas.

According to UNFPA, much of the support has been delivered through the KOICA-funded programme for conflict-affected and fragile countries, which prioritises integrated SRH and GBV services, mobile health outreach, youth engagement, and capacity-building for frontline humanitarian workers.

South Sudan remains one of the most fragile humanitarian contexts in East and Southern Africa. Hassan cited the arrival of more than 2.8 million people fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, persistently high maternal mortality rates, and widespread underreporting of gender-based violence as indicators of the scale and complexity of needs facing communities.

He added that strengthening leadership and coordination with government institutions is critical to ensuring that reproductive health and GBV services are accessible and aligned with national policies, particularly in emergency settings.

UNFPA reported that key developments in 2025 include the expansion of mobile SRH clinics, improvements in referral and response mechanisms for GBV survivors, and increased involvement of young people in community-based initiatives aimed at prevention and awareness.

While acknowledging progress, humanitarian actors have repeatedly warned that funding gaps and insecurity continue to limit coverage, leaving many women and girls without adequate access to life-saving services. UNFPA says sustaining and expanding current interventions will depend on continued donor support and improved access to affected populations.