When: December 5, 2005, 9:30am - 11:00am
Where: World Bank
Co-sponsor: Center for International Rehabilitation Last year, there was an unprecedented amount of natural disasters affecting populations from around the globe. Large scale programs/projects financed by the Bank after natural disaster constituted a huge challenge for the inclusion of disability-related issues both during the emergency/relief phase and during the medium-term reconstruction. Researches conducted by both the Center for International Rehabilitation (CIR) for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability as well as the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) have demonstrated that people with disabilities suffer disproportionately during natural disasters and their aftermath. People with disabilities are often excluded from relief efforts including being ignored or forgotten in terms of being provided basic necessities such as shelter, food and water. This exclusion, for the most part, is not an intentional act but rather the result of the lack of knowledge or understanding of disabilities issues by the international relief agencies. In order to improve this situation and ensure that people with disabilities are included in evacuation, planning and relief efforts, the World Bank in collaboration with the Center for International Rehabilitation organized this meeting to facilitate sharing of knowledge between the disability community, the World Bank and other relief agencies. You were cordially invited to participate to a fact-finding event from 9:30 to 11:00 on December 5 at World Bank Main Complex Building to highlight concerns and possible action to ensure inclusion of people with disabilities in relief efforts. The discussion included representatives from a number of international relief agencies (invited participants include: World Blind Union, Oxfam, Interaction, NOD, World Vision, Save the Children UK, FEMA, USAID and Red Cross). Lessons borne from experience and knowledge on what to do and what to avoid were raised as we work toward a more organized and structured awareness raising and learning process to avoid the recurrence of mistakes and miss opportunities, as well as set the stage for potentially developing basic guidelines for people with disabilities and relief efforts. Knowledge about the inclusion of disability in post disaster relief is not necessary. This event was organized in the framework of the International Day of Disabled Persons 2005,by the Disability & Development Team. |
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