Abstract:

Natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises have profound impacts on people’s lives. However, any policies or programs developed to mitigate these impacts should not merely focus on deaths and injuries. These crises also have social and economic impacts, especially since countries that suffer from disasters or crises are usually the most fragile ones. And one often overlooked impact, is the effect on people with disabilities and their families.

The 33 day war in Lebanon that happened in July 2006 is a compelling example. In addition to incurring casualties, Lebanon experienced damaged housing and infrastructure, as well as the destruction of social and economic facilities. These tragedies hit disabled people hard. It is essential to identify the gaps resulted from the absence of governmental policies for handling the responsibilities towards people with disabilities, and to emphasize the necessity of improving crisis management skills for both the state and civil society to overcome unexpected disasters like this war.

The BBL is going to highlight the following issues:

• The incident of war and its results;
• The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU) relief and emergency initiative/program targeting affected people with disabilities and their family;
• The social and economic aspects of the war in regards to disabled people;
• The governmental reaction towards mitigating the war’s results in the discourse of disability;
• The supporting role of international agencies/organizations in relief, emergency, and reconstruction processes.
• Recommendations on how organizations like the World Bank should support the development of relief and emergency policies in fragile countries and countries under conflict.

Speakers:

Mohammed Ali Loutfy is a disability activist from Lebanon. He has been participating in the disability movement in Lebanon since the year 1996. Loutfy has a degree in law from the State University of Lebanon’s school of law. He worked at the World Bank’s Disability and Development team between 2004-2006 as a Junior Professional Associate and as a focal point on youth and disability. During the July 2006 War in Lebanon, Loutfy worked for the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU), where he was a national program coordinator for relief and emergency. Currently as a Fulbright scholar, Loutfy studies International Development at American University in Washington DC.

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