A/HRC/49/44 47. The Special Rapporteur has received evidence that where governments or de facto authorities actively target communities with violence and persecution, they also often seek to prevent them from accessing humanitarian aid. Under the auspices of a nationwide crackdown on political dissent, the Myanmar military is reportedly preventing healthcare delivery to civilian protestors, attacking aid workers and facilities and imposing lockdown measures, travel restrictions, and other bureaucratic hurdles on humanitarian aid delivery to Rakhine and Chin States where most Rohingya Muslims and Chin Christians live or are displaced.113 Conflict over economic, political, and territorial dominance has undermined humanitarian access for civilian populations and, in some cases, for minorities based on their faith identity. The Syrian authorities have allegedly delayed, denied, and instrumentalized humanitarian assistance, channelling relief to pro-government groups and governmentcontrolled areas. 114 In 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (“IDPs”) noted allegations that the regime was actively preventing IDPs “and those from some ethnic and religious groups, notably Sunnis, from moving to government-controlled areas.”115 48. The Special Rapporteur has received evidence that, in a climate of fear and intolerance, religious or belief minorities may avoid seeking humanitarian aid, fearing reprisals if they make themselves visible in this manner. In Afghanistan, the Shi’a Hazara communities reportedly rely on Sunni Pashtun “patrons” to secure humanitarian aid and avoid being identified by the Taliban. Yet having to rely on a third party makes their access to humanitarian assistance conditional on the will or capacity of said party. 116 In Nigeria, Christian communities reportedly avoid government-run IDPs camps where they face discriminatory access to vital relief and violence from camp officials, including SGBV. 117 49. Studies also show that women in situations of conflict and insecurity may face heightened sexual and reproductive health concerns: increased risks of maternal morbidity, mortality, and SGBV; higher risks of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion; and unmet contraceptive needs.118 The vital need for sexual and reproductive health is often particularly acute for women who suffer from conflict-related SGBV. Displaced women in Nigeria, which Boko-Haram has targeted with such violence, have also suffered from barriers in accessing vital healthcare and sexual exploitation perpetrated by IDPs camp authorities with impunity.119 Refugee Rohingya women, notably those who experienced sexual violence from the Myanmar military, face significant barriers when seeking menstrual, contraceptive and abortion related services in refugee camps because of provider and community stigma.120 The Taliban’s newly imposed restrictions on women’s access to work and movement impede engagement of women staff in healthcare and humanitarian activities in Afghanistan. 121 Consequently, women - who rely extensively on other women to create safe spaces for quality 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26842; https://extranet.who.int/ssa/Index.aspx; https://www.msf.org/all-parties-must-ensure-unimpededaccess-healthcare-myanmar; https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2021/10/18/direconsequences-addressing-the-humanitarian-fallout-from-myanmars-coup; A/76/312, para.70. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085062; https://syriaaccountability.org/updates/2019/08/01/documents-obtained-by-sjac-show-role-of-syrianintelligence-in-directing-humanitarian-aid/; https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/06/28/riggingsystem/government-policies-co-opt-aid-and-reconstruction-funding-syria. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, para.56. Bilateral-Afghani Shi’a Hazara representative. Bilateral-Nigerian Christian representative. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WRGS/Pages/PeaceAndSecurity.aspx; https://reproductiverights.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/GLP_GA_SRHR_FS_0817_Final_Web.pdf. and https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0236316. https://reproductiverights.org/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Conflict%20in%20Nort heast%20Nigeria%27s%20Impact%20on%20the%20Sexual%20and%20Reproductive%20Rights%20 of%20Women%20and%20Girls_1.pdf. https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Contraceptive-ServiceDelivery-in-the-Refugee-Camps-of-Cox-s-Bazar-Bangladesh-05-2019.pdf. https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lifesaving-HumanitarianResponse-for-Women-Girls-in-Afghanistan-12102021.pdf. 13