214 out of the 234 girls have been found to be
pregnant, according to reports from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.
The disclosure was made by Executive Director, UNFPA,
Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin in Lagos.
While speaking, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin also
disclosed that the organization had taken deliveries of over 16,000 pregnancies
in the troubled North East part of the country in the last one year.
Mr Osotimehin said the organization, in anticipation
of the magnitude of the problem on hand, had put in place a formidable team in
collaboration with the Federal and state governments, to first restore the
dignity of the girls, who, he said, are facing severe psychosocial trauma,
while giving update of the process to the rehabilitation of the rescued women
and children.
Concerning the psychological and mental state of the
released girls, he explained that most of them, due to the long period spent in
captivity, require special care and services that would facilitate their
re-integration into society.
He said, “What we found is that some of the women and
girls that have come back actually have much more in terms of the stress they
have faced, so the counseling has to be more intense and working with them
one-on-one.
“I'm glad the communities are not excommunicating them
and are taking them back. That is an important therapy too.
“We anticipate this is going to escalate because the
military intervention is continuing, we find that more people are now needing
our services and we will continue,” he stated.
He further explained that the UNFPA has, in
collaboration with the federal government, trained 60 counselors to offer
psychosocial assistance to the affected women and children.
He also stated that those trained were selected from
the communities, who understand the context and sociology of the people.
Says he: “UNFPA is providing dignity for women. In
conflict and disasters, most people would only think of water and sanitation,
provision of tents and housing, and food, which are all important.
“But women and girls have specific needs that nobody
else looks after; it is only UNFPA that is doing this. We are giving
psychosocial counseling.
“Beyond that, in the growing young people, we will
always have pregnant women, but nobody segregates the needs of the pregnant
women which are very important and different from the needs of the average
community.
“We look after them, and ensure they get antenatal
care and that they deliver properly and that they even get Caesarean Section
when necessary,” he noted.
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