The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

decide to return to their husband’s pre-conflict place <strong>of</strong> residence, or their
own; and
• Communities are also affected by urbanization trends. Masses <strong>of</strong> people
from rural areas, mostly women, moved to urban centres for multiple reasons,
such as fleeing conflict areas for safer environments or seeking better job
opportunities. As a result, communities are faced with rising prejudices
between local people and newcomers. Urban residents tend to regard rural
people as second-class citizens, while older rural women consider urban
culture as threatening to their guarded cultural identities and values, making
integration into urban surroundings more difficult.
Health
<strong>Armed</strong> conflicts have extremely serious effects on health sectors, as basic
infrastructures are destroyed. Hospitals, clinics and local health centres are
demolished while medicines, equipment and supplies are looted. Electricity and
water plants are damaged and health information systems break down.
Consequently, the capacity <strong>of</strong> the health system to cope with war emergencies is
crippled. Furthermore, the number <strong>of</strong> medical staff decreases due to deaths,
displacement, injuries or flight to other countries. Numerous doctors and nurses
are channelled towards the conflict zones to cater to the military forces, while
remaining health workers are demoralized and left without adequate support or
payment. Land mines and curfews also limit the mobility <strong>of</strong> health workers to
meet the community needs. Another important factor that affects the health
sector is the transfer <strong>of</strong> public funds from health to defence. This results in
declines in the quality <strong>of</strong> care, lowered standards in HIV testing for blood
transfusions and the disruption <strong>of</strong> health programmes. This gap can be covered
by unregulated private-sector health care which, in turn, increases costs to their
users.
<strong>The</strong> breakdown <strong>of</strong> the health sector and the shift to the private sector
providing health-care services exacerbates the health <strong>of</strong> populations in conflict
areas. Decreased income and increased cost <strong>of</strong> services are prohibitive factors
for adequate health-care access, especially for women, large families and rural
population.
Displaced persons, refugees and people living in camps face major
difficulties related to inadequate accommodation, poor sanitation conditions,
shortages <strong>of</strong> money and humanitarian aid, lost documents, poor health-care
provisions and many psychological problems. As a result, malnutrition, anaemia,
malaria, dysentery, tuberculosis and other diseases worsen their already
precarious situation. Refugee women are considered the most vulnerable group,
since they are <strong>of</strong>ten exposed to violence, sexual abuse, rape and enforced
pregnancy, which require additional specialized care and psychological support.
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