Abstract:

While sexual and reproductive health services have become more accessible in the humanitarian field in times of armed conflict, safe abortion services are still rarely provided and the care provided to victims of sexual assault remains inadequate. Today, girls and women, including those who become pregnant as a result of sexual assault in conflict settings, are routinely denied abortions with devastating consequences. There are many reasons for this lack of access to safe abortion care in armed conflict. First, access to safe abortion care depends on the legal status of abortion. In addition to legal restrictions, there may be a number of other barriers to safe abortion care in situations of armed conflict. The humanitarian dimension of access to safe abortion care is greater than the legal challenge and just as important as the legal barriers. Forcing girls and women into a pregnancy resulting from sexual assault or refusing to grant them an abortion violates the right to humane treatment and the right not to be subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment.

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