Document Type

Report

Publication Date

4-2026

Abstract

Humanitarian crises expose women and girls to heightened risk of unintended pregnancy due to increased risk of sexual violence as well as disruption in access to and provision of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Unintended pregnancies in turn result in unplanned births and, in contexts with restrictive abortion laws, maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion or miscarriage. This makes innovative, evidence-informed solutions to address unintended pregnancy that take into account the unique circumstances of women and girls in humanitarian settings critical. Evidence-informed solutions should consider how best to reach women and girls with SRHR services in the context of disruptions to normal access and provision of care.

This report presents findings from an intervention study the effectiveness of integrating family planning (FP) messages and counselling in food distribution programmes to address unintended pregnancy in refugee settings in Ethiopia. The study was conducted across the Nguenyyiel camp in Gambella region, which hosts over 110,000 predominantly South Sudanese refugees. The baseline unintended pregnancy survey (2025) found high fertility and low contraceptive use: average parity of four children per woman, and only 16.2% of sexually active women using any contraception, with high unmet need for family planning.

DOI

10.31899/sbsr2026.1008

Language

English

Project

Baobab: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Refugee Settings

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