International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The Australian Government has vowed to donate AUD $500,000 (£242,674) to a fund designed to provide health care to displaced women in war-torn areas of northern Sri Lanka.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 75,000 of the 280,000 people living in temporary camps in the area are women and girls who need basic hygiene support and reproductive health care.

The organisation says around 6,000 are pregnant and in "urgent need" of services, including potentially lifesaving obstetric care.

Monies donated will go towards funding five new family health clinics in the Menik Farm camp, UNFPA says, providing antenatal and postnatal exams, emergency deliveries, psychosocial counselling and other services.

Personal hygiene packs, maternity kits for pregnant women, reproductive health equipment and supplies for hospitals will also be paid for.

Lene Christiansen, UNFPA representative in Sri Lanka, stated: "This generous contribution from the government of Australia will be critical in safeguarding the reproductive health and personal hygiene of women in these camps."

Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war recently came to a conclusion with the surrender of the last remaining Tamil Tiger rebels to government forces.