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Nepal-born Bollywood actress to support quake-devastated women and girls as UN Goodwill Ambassador

Xinhua, May 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA) has appointed Manisha Koirala, a Nepalese citizen and a Bollywood star, as its Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal to advocate for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants, girls and young people displaced by the devastating April 25 earthquake.

"UNFPA's lifesaving interventions are needed more than ever. I am truly happy to renew my partnership with UNFPA in my homeland at this crucial time," said social activist Koirala in a press release.

According to UNFPA, more than two million women of reproductive age are affected by the disaster. Many of them are at risk of unwanted pregnancies.

Further, they estimated 126,000 women who are currently pregnant may need urgent care to ensure they deliver their babies safely and remain healthy after childbirth so that they can take proper care of their infants.

"We wholeheartedly welcome Manisha Koirala as a spokesperson for our cause," said Giulia Vallese, UNFPA Representative in Nepal.

Alongside the government of Nepal, UNFPA is helping to coordinate and provide sexual and reproductive health services for those women and girls who need them the most, including obstetric care and safe delivery for women who are pregnant, as well as a range of medical services.

As of Monday, 8,046 people were killed and 17,866 others injured in the 7.9-magnitude quake that rocked Nepal on April 25, according to the Nepali government. Endi