Summary

In a new publication, Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Humanitarian and Disaster Situations: Three Cases Studies on Accountability, Innovation, and the Human Rights-based Approach, the Center for Reproductive Rights explores rights-based accountability initiatives that embed human rights obligations within programming in three distinct humanitarian and disaster settings: protracted conflict settlements in northern Uganda; Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh; and natural disaster-affected municipalities in Kailali, Nepal.

Humanitarian and disaster situations are increasingly characterized by environmental, political, and social factors that exacerbate risks and vulnerabilities. In such contexts, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are fundamental human rights and critical needs for people’s survival, recovery, and long-term resilience. Despite challenges like limited SRHR prioritization in emergencies, implementation gaps, and weak accountability mechanisms, these initiatives demonstrate that rights-based accountability is an achievable and effective way to protect and fulfill SRHR in humanitarian contexts.

The report calls on:

1. Governments to strengthen legal frameworks to meet their SRHR obligations in times of crisis
2. Humanitarian organizations to mainstream SRH
3. Human rights organizations to support community-led advocacy
4. Donors to provide rights-based humanitarian funding
5. And all stakeholders to institutionalize community-centered accountability mechanisms in humanitarian and disaster response

Read the case studies and learn more about the Center’s work in humanitarian contexts in Uganda, Bangladesh, and Nepal