A/68/297 themselves of economic opportunities. 51 Many may be forced to work in poor or unsafe working conditions, further exposing them to poor health. 52 Competing demands for access to health care and the underlying determinants of health may lead to rising tensions at the expense of both host and displaced communities. 53 Displaced communities may consequently face discrimination in accessing health facilities, goods and services and underlying determinants. C. Women 43. Conflict may aggravate women’s vulnerability to ill-health, discrimination and gender-based violence. Women often experience higher incidence of poor health outcomes in conflict owing to their physical and reproductive needs during pregnancy and childbirth. 54 Most maternal deaths in conflict occur during delivery or in the immediate post-partum period due to lack of availability of quality reproductive and maternal care, such as family planning, emergency obstetric services, and pre- and post-natal care. 55 Women in conflict situations are more likely to turn to unsafe abortion services when facing an unplanned pregnancy. 56 44. Women are also often primary caretakers in conflict situations and may struggle to provide for their families, neglecting their own needs. Unequal access to resources such as land, employment and financial loans may leave many women and their families destitute and vulnerable. 57 Faced with limited choices, women may turn to employment in low-skilled jobs and in the informal sector, which yields lower benefits and exposes them to danger and exploitation. 58 Women who depend on armed groups and aid agencies may also engage in sex work in exchange for money, shelter, food or other basic necessities. 59 This may further expose women to increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. 60 45. Mass displacement, breakdown of community and family networks, and institutional collapse may create a vacuum in which women and young girls are __________________ 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 14/24 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “Syria regional response plan: January to June 2013” (Geneva, 2013), pp. 11, 39. Available from www.unhcr.org/. Ibid. IRC, “Syria”, p. 13. ICRC, “Addressing the needs of women affected by armed conflict” (Geneva, 2004), pp. 10, 121, 133. MSF, “Maternal death: the avoidable crisis” (New York, 2012); N. Howard and others, “Reproductive health for refugees by refugees in Guinea III: maternal health”, Conflict and Health, vol. 5, No. 5 (12 April 2011), p. 1. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), “The impact of armed conflict on women and girls: a consultative meeting on mainstreaming gender in areas of conflict and reconstruction, Bratislava, 13-15 November 2001” (New York, 2002), p. 44. Austrian Development Agency, “Focus: women, gender and armed conflict” (Vienna, 2009), pp. 2-3. Available from www.oecd.org. Women, Peace and Security (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.IV.9), pp. 115-117. Kirsti Lattu, “To complain or not to complain still the question: consultations with humanitarian aid beneficiaries on their perceptions of efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse” (Geneva, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, 2008), pp. 20-22. WHO Regional Office for Europe, “Violence against women living in situations of armed conflict” (Copenhagen, 2000), p. 13. 13-42297