While there are few statistics, and many abortions go unreported among groups of refugees and displaced persons, unsafe abortion appears to be common (12, 86, 118, 298). Few refugee camps are prepared to deal with complications, however. For example, among the eight refugee camps in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa, only one had facilities to treat women after miscarriage. Most complications were referred to district hospitals of the Ministry of Health. In these hospitals workloads are heavy, and equipment and medications often are inadequate (222).

Many unsafe abortions would be avoided if refugees, displaced persons, and migrants had better access to contraception—particularly women who are suffering complications of unsafe abortion or miscarriage. Emergency care and the offer of family planning counseling and contraceptive methods are needed (287).