“Dignity Kits” For Girls and Women Affected by Hurricane Earl

Siti Oussein

This morning, at a brief ceremony on Coney Drive, the United Nations Population Fund handed over one hundred dignity kits to the Ministry of Human Development to aid with ongoing efforts to provide assistance to families affected by Hurricane Earl. Hundreds of families were displaced by the category one storm that made landfall back on August third, several miles south of the city and many are still trying to put the pieces back together. UNFPA provided multipurpose containers filled with hygienic and sanitary items specifically targeting women and young girls. Deputy Director of UNFPA’s Sub-Regional Office in Jamaica, Siti Oussein was in Belize for the handing over.

Siti Oussein, Deputy Director, Caribbean Sub-Regional Office, UNFPA

“Those are part of what UNFPA used to provide across the world in certain circumstances in response to humanitarian situation to ensure that women are getting the basic article and items for their health and to restore their dignity after such situation. So this is why I am here today to respond to your needs. Now why UNFPA is addressing that is because UNFPA is targeting women and girls to make sure that they are healthy and their sexual reproductive health needs are covered, whatever the circumstances—be it in humanitarian or in development setting. And dignity kits are very important because they have sanitary and hygienic element that most of the time they may be overlooked. We think that it is important to provide food, to provide shelter to facilitate access to health services, education, etc.  But we think also that this element for addressing the hygienic needs of women is key for them to be healthy and for them to be able to take care of themselves and to restore their dignity after such a traumatic situation.”