COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, 15 October 2025 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with generous funding from the European Union Humanitarian Aid, today delivered a new batch of essential medical supplies and equipment to prevent maternal and newborn deaths in the Rohingya refugee camps and host communities.
The first batch of essential commodities, handed over by UNFPA Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong and representatives from the Government of Bangladesh, directly addresses the critical need for emergency obstetric care. In 2024, 46 maternal deaths were recorded in the camps, with an average of 3 to 5 mothers still dying each month from pregnancy-related complications, despite a 45% reduction in maternal deaths since 2021.1
These vital supplies were provided to Friendship Field Hospital, the main referral hub for pregnancy-related emergencies for all 33 refugee camps, which serves approximately 6,000 patients monthly. The delivery included specialized blood transfusion kits and other essential supplies for a hospital with the capacity to serve 150,000 people. The kits will be used to perform caesarean sections, other obstetric surgical interventions, and to resuscitate mothers and babies, directly preventing maternal and newborn deaths.
This delivery forms a key component of a larger 12-month project to which the European Union has contributed €1 million. The overall project aims to strengthen the entire reproductive health supply chain, ensuring uninterrupted access to essential commodities for nearly 180,000 Rohingya refugees and host community members.
"No woman should die giving life," said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh. "This partnership between the European Union and UNFPA is a critical step towards ensuring that every mother and newborn in the Rohingya camps has access to the lifesaving care they deserve. These supplies will equip frontline health workers to save lives that would otherwise be lost."
The support is crucial in addressing the leading causes of maternal mortality in the camps, including postpartum haemorrhage, infections, obstructed labour, and complications from high blood pressure (preeclampsia and eclampsia). Ensuring a consistent supply of these commodities is fundamental to preventing such tragedies.
“Safe childbirth is not a privilege, it is a basic human right,” said Davide Zappa, head of EU Humanitarian Aid in Bangladesh. “Timely access to emergency obstetric care, supported by a reliable supply chain of essential medical supplies and equipment, is critical to reducing maternal mortality. The European Union is proud to stand with UNFPA and the Government of Bangladesh in reinforcing the health system’s capacity to respond to life-threatening pregnancy complications. Every life saved through this effort is a testament to what partnership and solidarity can achieve.”
The kits are first in the set of emergency reproductive health supplies procured with the support of the EU. This initiative is part of a broader UNFPA effort to enhance facility preparedness for implementing the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health during emergencies across the response in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, serving over 300,000 women of reproductive age.
About UNFPA
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN. It works to uphold the rights and choices of women, girls and young people across more than 150 countries. Our aim is to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can fulfil their potential.
About the European Union's Humanitarian Aid
The European Union and its Member States are among the world's leading donors of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by disasters and human-induced crises. Through the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
1 Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Surveillance and Response (MPMSR) in Rohingya Refugees Response, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Annual Report 2024
