Vulnerable Sectors

1. In the context of social protection, vulnerable groups include
children, women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWD’s)
& Indigenous People (IPs).
At the end of this presentation,
1. Actors involved in emergency response efforts at all levels
hope to have gained an improved understanding of the
importance of the inclusion of persons with specific needs
in disaster management
2. Actors are better equipped to address these needs, & lead
to an improved and more comprehensive disaster response
for all.

2. Inclusion of People with
Specific Needs in
Emergency/Disaster
Management

3. Who are people
with specific needs?
 Persons with disability / injuries
 Persons with Important Medical Condition
 Older Person at Risk
 Single household representative
 Unaccompanied or Separated Child
 Woman at Risk
 Child/Adolescent at Risk
 Indigenous Peoples

4. A person with specific needs has basic
needs, like everyone else
 Housing
 Food
 Clothing
 Bathing
 Working
 Etc…

5. But these persons also have other needs:
• Specific health care (i.e. diabetes treatment)
• Special diet
• Psychological needs
• Technical aids, assistive device (prosthesis,
cane, etc.)
• Physical/visual/etc rehabilitation
• Special means of communication (braille, sign
language)

6. They have the same rights as everyone else.
 Right to have a family
 Right to education
 Right to employment
 Right to access health services
 Right for dignity
The right to have the same
opportunities as everyone else

7. Conventions and legal
frameworks on persons
with specific needs

8. Many key bodies of law already include a
limited number of articles of direct
relevance to the protection of persons
with specific needs, and their needs and
rights in emergency situations.
 International humanitarian law
 International human rights law
 Convention on the protection of IDPs
 Refugee law

9. International frameworks
International Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
• The Convention’s goal is to promote, protect and ensure the
full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities , and
to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
The Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing
 The first international agreement explicitly committing
governments to include ageing in social and economic
development policies;
 Contains specific articles and objectives relating to natural
disasters and other humanitarian emergencies, and equality
of access to basic emergency services

10. National frameworks
Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities
• Emphasizes the equal rights of PwDs, and promotes their
integration into mainstream society
• Promotes respect for PwDs, and aims to remove all social,
cultural, economic, environmental and attitudinal barriers
that are prejudicial to PwDs.
Laws on older persons
 Examples include Republic Act 7432 and 9257
 Promotes the rights of older persons, including motivating
and encouraging them to continue to contribute to society
and nation-building; and “encourag(ing) their families and
communities they live with to reaffirm the valued Filipino
tradition of caring for the senior citizens. “

11. Specific guidelines
for the consideration of
persons with specific needs
in an emergency

12. Why should special attention and
consideration be given to persons
with specific needs in an emergency
situation???

13. Because:
 They tend to be invisible, and are often
excluded more than others from the relief
actions.
 They face additional barriers in accessing
emergency support.
 They are at greater risk to see their level of
vulnerability increase.
They are amongst the most negatively
affected in all the aspects of their lives.

15. Search, Rescue
and Evacuation
Tips to include persons with specific
needs in…

16. The best case scenario:
Specific needs issues are included in disaster
preparedness.
• A community that is aware and prepared to handle disasters
taking in account these issues
• A team dedicated/trained to rescue persons with specific
needs
• Use of an existing database/list of persons with specific
needs
• Use adapted evacuation means & adequate equipment
• Already known accessible pre-identified location
•Participatory identification of specific needs
Search, Rescue & Evacuation

17. When there is no disaster preparedness planning,
or when persons with specific needs are not
included in planning:
Search, Rescue & Evacuation
 If there are no databases/lists of persons with specific
needs available immediately after disaster, prepare a
detailed list during loss and damage assessment.
 Allow the individual to advise you on his/her special
needs
 Evacuate the person to a location where he/she will
best be able to meet his/her immediate needs (i.e.
accessible water, toilets, etc).
 As much as possible, ensure that persons with specific
needs are not separated from their caregivers/family
members

18. To prepare for possible secondary displacement
(ex. flooding of a relief camp or evolution of a crisis):
 Identify people in the camp that know where
vulnerable individuals are and what specific help
they would need to be moved.
 Make a plan with camp management so they are
aware of people who will require extra help
 Train community members on how to evacuate
persons with specific needs
 Have stretchers/wheelchairs available to help
injured, disabled, elderly, pregnant people move
quickly
Search, Rescue & Evacuation

19. Search, Rescue & Evacuation

20. Search, Rescue & Evacuation
REMEMBER!
• Always try to include a person with specific needs or
someone familiar with working with them in the rescue
team
• Let them advise you on his/her special needs
• Evacuate them to a suitable location for his/her special
needs
• Bring along any assistive devices, medications and other
special needs items, or ensure they are available in the
evacuation/relocation location
• Evacuate with the caregiver or ensure rapid
reunification

21. Distribution,
Shelter
and
WASH
Tips to include persons with
specific needs in…

22. • Appropriate and accessible location of distribution
points
• Information about distributions is disseminated in
multiple formats
Distribution
Ensure persons with specific needs have
access to distributions through:

23. • Special distribution arrangements such as:
– Special lines
– Door-to-door distributions
– Assistance to carry rations

24. WASH & Shelter
10% of facilities
should be accessible
• Small adjustments can
make a big difference
and are easy to apply.
• Persons with specific
needs should be
consulted on design of
facilities and shelter
whenever possible.
Accessibility of shelters and WASH facilities
is an immediate & compulsory concern.

25. WASH & Shelter

26. Protection
Tips to include persons with
specific needs in…

27. Protection
Increased risk of physical, sexual
and emotional abuse, and other
protection concerns
Different abilities
Vulnerability
Difficult conditions
Additional barriers
CRITICAL
INCIDENT

28. Protection
How to prevent/tackle protection
concerns?
 Monitor security in camps/shelters
 Reunite persons with specific needs with their
caregivers or relatives during their stay
 Ensure they are registered
 Make volunteers/staff in camps or shelters aware
of them.
 Place them in safe areas of camps
 Ensure they are included as target populations
for protection agencies

29.  Provide them information on their rights and
services available for them
 Promote their inclusion in existing interactive
group discussions, recreational/children’s
activities, etc
 Promote self-help groups, focus group
discussions, etc
 Use various means of communication (i.e. sign
language translation, guides

30. Health
Services
Tips to include persons with
specific needs in…

31. Health services
Ensure that health services respond to specific
needs.
IDENTIFY
 The health services (primary health centre, orthopaedic
hospital, children’s hospital)
 The existing or planned referral mechanisms
SUPPORT HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS
PROVIDE/ENSURE SERVICES IN FACILITIES AND
COMMUNITY
 Examples:
- Prevent sore i.e. a person with Spinal Cord Injury
- Provide medication for a person with diabetes
- Distribution of appropriate aids/appliances
- Early exercise post-surgery

32. REMEMBER THAT...
• Persons with specific needs tend to be invisible
 Do not assume that they aren’t there simply because you do not
see them
• They have special needs, but also the very same basic
needs that any other person, which must be fulfilled equally.
• They are not a homogeneous group, and different
individuals have different needs
• They will not be included “automatically” in an
emergency response.
 Promote inclusion in ALL relief efforts
 Awareness facilitates inclusion
• Involve them at every stage of the acute relief action, by
allowing them
 To voice their opinion
 To take part in the planning and design of activities

33. Maraming
Salamat
Po!