“I am grateful for this kit, it has all the basic things I need but could not afford, especially now after losing my husband,” said teary-eyed Zuleyha as she received a Dignity Kit from a psychosocial support centre in Shortepa District.

The Dignity Kit is a package of essential supplies distributed by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, during emergencies to help women and girls maintain dignity and hygiene. It contains menstrual products, soap, multipurpose garments, towels, and more. 

For Zuleyha, who struggles to provide for her two young children as a solo parent, and many other women impacted by crises in Afghanistan, the Dignity Kit means more than what it contains. The kit supports women and girls in using their limited resources to purchase other critical items, especially in emergency situations.

The Dignity Kit is one of UNFPA’s signature items distributed to women and girls as part of an integrated, coordinated response to humanitarian crises, targeting the most vulnerable populations. Other UNFPA lifesaving humanitarian supplies include Mama & Baby Kits, Midwifery Kits, and the Inter-Agency Reproductive Health Kits.

The emergency context for which these kits are intended requires that they are immediately available for distribution when crisis strikes. To make this happen, the UNFPA Afghanistan Country Office established efficient supply chain operations at the Termez Cargo Center (TCC) in neighbouring Uzbekistan in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) Afghanistan and in close coordination with the UNFPA Uzbekistan Country Office.