Amman, July 27 (Petra) - HRH Princess Basma bint Talal, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador, on Monday stressed the importance of Jordan's partnership with the UNFPA as the two marked 50 years of cooperation.
Addressing an event co-hosted with the Higher Population Council (HPC), Princess Basma underscored UNFPA’s role in expanding access to essential services and improving lives across Jordan.
She also called on the international community to urgently reprioritize reproductive healthcare and protection for women and girls in conflict zones, as well as the global displacement crisis.
Following is a transcript of Princess Basma's address: "Since I embarked on my role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2001, it has been a great privilege to witness, first-hand, the remarkable resilience of people in the face of the most difficult circumstances. Today, my commitment to this mission remains as deep and steadfast as it was when I first undertook this role.
On the occasion of World Population Day, I extend my appreciation and gratitude to the women and men of UNFPA around the world for their tireless efforts to protect health, dignity, and human rights. Here in Jordan, we proudly mark this year the fiftieth anniversary of our partnership with UNFPA a partnership whose direct impact we have witnessed in saving lives and expanding access to essential services for those who need them most.
Globally, through its vital network of clinics and services, UNFPA continues to provide reproductive health care and protection to thousands of women, adolescent girls, and refugees year after year, often under extremely difficult and complex circumstances.
As we commemorate World Population Day 2026, I would like to focus on two crises that continue to weigh heavily on our region and threaten the fundamental rights of women and girls.
The first is the impact of conflict on reproductive health services. Above all else, conflict is a public health emergency. In areas of intense conflict, with Gaza standing as a disastrous example, the health system has been devastated.
There, childbirth is no longer a symbol of new life but has become a source of fear and anxiety. We have witnessed women being forced to undergo emergency caesarean sections without anaesthesia, while newborn babies struggle to survive in overcrowded shelters lacking clean water and essential medical supplies.
Under these conditions, the maternal mortality ratio has risen dramatically to approximately 948 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies, compared with a baseline of around 30 deaths per 100,000 under stable conditions.
Alongside this severe physical burden, women continue to endure devastating psychological trauma, including acute post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and the constant fear for their lives, dignity, and future.
The second crisis is the impact of forced displacement. Today, the world is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with more than 117 million people forcibly displaced, nearly half of whom are women and girls. In our Middle East region alone, more than 1.6 million pregnant women have been displaced as a result of conflict.
Worldwide, 60 million displaced women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence, often finding themselves in environments where protection systems have collapsed or are no longer capable of responding to the scale of need and suffering.
To provide life-saving reproductive health care for nearly 34 million women, girls, and young people this year, UNFPA is seeking US$1 billion through its 2026 Humanitarian Appeal.
Yet this humanitarian appeal comes at a time when global priorities remain profoundly misaligned. Last year alone, the world spent a record US$2.89 trillion on military expenditure. This starkly illustrates a reality in which the instruments of destruction receive funding at a level more than 57 times greater than what is currently allocated to meeting essential reproductive health needs.
When we consider that an estimated 239 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2026 as a result of conflict, climate shocks, and disease outbreaks, a humanitarian appeal of US$1 billion important though it is remains modest compared with the scale of the need. The challenge is not one of capacity; it is one of courage and moral responsibility.
Let World Population Day serve as a genuine catalyst for reordering our priorities, so that reproductive health and the safety of women and girls become serious priorities that can neither be postponed nor overlooked.
Achieving this goal is not a luxury. It is a commitment to a fundamental human right." UNFPA Representative in Jordan Himyar Abdulmoghni, for his part, commended the 50-year partnership, noting its evolution to address Amman's changing priorities, advance gender equality, and empower youth through evidence-based policymaking.
Laila Baker, UNFPA Regional Director for Arab States, presented key findings from the "Life, Choices, and Future" survey of over 108,000 young adults across 73 countries. In Jordan, nearly half of respondents (47.6%) cited deep concerns over regional instability, economic uncertainty, and environmental risks. Baker stressed that demographic policy "must look beyond" population growth to focus on jobs, housing, healthcare, and equal opportunity.
Omar Al-Fanek, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation Secretary-General, and Issa Masarweh, HPC Secretary-General, pledged to addressing demographic shifts, youth unemployment, and economic pressures through rights-based national initiatives.
//Petra// HA
