When mother and baby are refugees.

War and disaster strike everyone hard, but they strike the most vulnerable people hardest. Since the Second World War more than 21 million people, most of them women and children, have died in wars and other conflicts. Countless others have perished in natural disasters. Most of the world's 50 million refugees and displaced persons are women and children. The special feature in this issue of Safe Motherhood looks especially at mothers and infants in situations of war and disaster. It describes their plight as innocent victims, as society's most vulnerable members struggling to survive in hostile surroundings, and as lonely figures trying to rebuild their lives against all odds. It particularly focuses on motherhood among women refugees. Much can be done to improve the situation of these mothers and their infants. The special feature describes steps that can be taken to make sure that motherhood is safer--and infant health more secure--even when the situation seems to be desperate. Women refugees face all kinds of disadvantages and hardships. WHO is developing guidelines on women's reproductive health during conflict and displacement to address these problems. The feature in this newsletter is based on these guidelines.