Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
I thank the organizers for inviting me to this important event which look at the situation in Yemen and South Sudan from a health and gender perspective. We all know the devastating impact of the two conflicts on civilians – in particular on women and girls.
 
As we meet today, and according to UNFPA, approximately 5 million women and girls - in both countries - are facing increased health and protection risks. Over 1 million pregnant and lactating women and girls are malnourished due to the lack of humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas and difficulties in obtaining food and medical supplies. Given the dire state of health services in both countries, this same population is at risk of developing complications and of dying during childbirth.
 
Aside from that, women and girls are still being subject to sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, and trafficking. According to UNFPA figures, in Yemen, 3 million women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence. In some States in South Sudan it is estimated that 65 per cent of women have experienced gender-based violence during their lifetime.
 
While every woman and every girl has the right to health and to live free from discrimination and violence – yet during conflict their fundamental rights are bluntly denied – sometimes with total impunity, and they are always the first one to suffer from the impact of the conflict. But let me be very clear - there is and should not be any pause when it comes to upholding human rights – they are to be applied at all time – even more during a crisis.
 
This is particularly true for the girls and women of Yemen and South Sudan who have undergone and continue to suffer from horrific human rights violations.  Victims of these atrocities, including sexual and gender-based violence, require urgent health care and social services. They also require us to create the necessary space for their voice to be heard; for justice and reparation to be rendered, and for them to be an integral part of any solutions – including peace-dialogues.
 
In addition to providing for health care-services, and by including a prevention-lens in our response to gender-based violence, one area we need to also invest in more is education — especially for girls. In Yemen and South Sudan, millions of children are out of school and thousands of schools are out of use, many damaged by attacks. The lack of access to education combined with the lack of basic services have already hampered the future of many children, hampering post-conflict recovery and weakening resilience to prevent ongoing cycles of conflict.
 
Today, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, we must reaffirm more than ever our strong resolve and commitment to uphold human rights standards – at all times. I commend in that regard UNFPA as well as the broader UN family for their continuous efforts to support women and girls as well as communities and countries in sometimes very difficult circumstances.
 
I thank all Governments and partners that have come here today. Together we must strengthen our collective efforts to support field-level action that addresses the urgent needs of women and girls affected by conflict.  Our efforts to magnify their voices and leadership, and ensure their health, justice and human rights, are the right investment in our collective future.