World Disasters Report: Tackling discrimination in disasters

This Report highlights the fact that those who are already poor and vulnerable need particular attention at times of crisis due to the barriers they can face in accessing aid and stresses that planning how their needs will be met is vital before a disaster strikes, not afterwards.

It recommends that the needs of marginalised and vulnerable populations are taken into account in disaster preparedness programmes and that these groups receive timely and adequate assistance during emergencies, and that they are included in recovery activities after a disaster.

Launching the report in Dublin, Mr. John Roycroft, Acting Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, said it was an important reminder to everyone who works in developing countries.

"In our operations overseas, the Irish Red Cross actively seeks out those who are most vulnerable and most at risk. For example Irish Red Cross programmes in Niger strengthen the power of women who are heads of households including widows and single parents, to earn money to provide for their children, while in Malawi each local water-committee has to have at least a 50% female representation."

"Children with disabilities are being helped by specially-built schools in countries from Iran to Indonesia, while children maimed by landmines get specialist treatment from our skilled personnel," he added.

However .Mr. Roycroft supported the view of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that much more needs to be done, chiefly in the areas of information and preparedness.

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Speaking at the launch of the World Disasters Report in the Irish Red Cross, the minister with responsibility for Irish Aid which co-funds the report, Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Michael Kitt TD said: "I very much welcome the fact that the World Disasters Report 2007 addresses this issue of discrimination in disasters, and examines which groups are discriminated against and why; and how this discrimination deepens already existing vulnerabilities.

"I would suggest that we should all act on the recommendations of the Report in working to ensure that the needs of vulnerable groups are met, both in the way that we prepare for disasters, and in our response to emergencies and recovery programmes."

Race, colour, gender, language, religion, politics, opinion, national or social origin, economic condition and birth are just some of the causes of discrimination that can compromise certain groups’ access to aid and the report says aid agencies need to work to change attitudes, develop inclusion and advocate on behalf of marginalised groups. Discrimination thrives in the shadows, so we need to chase those shadows away.

The Report encourages aid agencies to question how they manage those with disabilities in disaster zones. For example do evacuation plans take into account that a part of the population may not know how to read because they have been excluded from school? Are the nutritional and medical needs of the elderly and pregnant women taken into account in assistance plans? Do distribution systems ensure all have access to essential food and water? Are vulnerable women protected from sexual and other forms of violence in crisis situations?

Among the solutions proposed to tackle discrimination, this year’s Report calls for a clear definition of marginalisation and vulnerability, as well as more information on the impact of discrimination, and on the vital need to involve marginalised and vulnerable groups in the design and implementation of emergency and developmental aid programmes.

The World Disasters Report also includes a section on disaster statistics and some analysis of global trends, supplied by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), based at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium.

Figures for last year (2006) show a drop on the previous year (2005) which was noteworthy for a large number of extensive disasters, but the overall number of disasters in the last decade (1997 – 2006) is up by 60 per cent on the previous ten-year period, i.e. 1987 – 1996).

Over the same period, the number of reported deaths doubled, from more than 600,000 to more than 1.2 million, and the average number of people reported affected per year rose by 17 per cent, from approximately 230 million to 270 million. Meanwhile, the total cost of reported damage increased by 12 per cent. Better reporting of smaller disasters partially explains these increases. However, more severe disasters are also on the increase.

This trend is confirmed by the International Federation’s own statistics. For example, between 2004 and 2006, the number of disasters that Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies responded to increased by more than 70%. Most of them were caused by floods and other meteorological events. As of 10 October 2007, the Federation had already recorded 410 disasters, 56% of which were weather-related, which is consistent with the trend of rising numbers of climate change-related disasters.

For more information, or to set up interviews: Aoife Mac Eoin,
National Communications Officer: 01 – 642 4628 / 087 998 3788.

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