ActionAid: International disaster reduction day
Today is International Disaster Reduction Day. As is the case every year, this year’s edition has a specific focus, the one billion people around the world who live with some form of disability.
The UN estimates that one-fifth of the world's population is made up of people living with disabilities. They are often overlooked, even though they can help reduce the risk of disasters and build resilient societies and communities.
Our human rights based approach to resilience means that we put vulnerable people at the heart of our work.
"We know that socially excluded groups are at greatest risk of suffering from the impacts of disasters."
That’s why we work with people living with disabilities, as they are often left out of key decision-making processes within their communities.
But it’s not just at the community level that this is a problem, that’s why we work with people at all levels so they’re empowered to claim their rights.
What are ActionAid countries doing for International Disaster Reduction Day?
Afghanistan: Community representatives from the Balkh province will discuss with government agencies how river erosion in flood affected areas where they live is affecting their lives.
We are helping them to draw the government’s attention to the problem so that it helps to install an Early Warning System along the remote areas of the Amu River, so that the communities can prepare for when the river banks are breached.
Bangladesh: The NAARI consortium of NGOs working in resilience and emergencies in Bangladesh, and chaired by ActionAid Bangladesh, is celebrating International Disaster Reduction Day together with the Bangladeshi Government.
They will put up 2000 posters in offices and public buildings showing the need to support people living with disabilities ActionAid Bangladesh is organising a rally where community leaders will call on the Government to rebuild a broken river embankment. This will protect the community from future flooding.
Cambodia: We have been training communities on disaster risk reduction and showing journalists the resilience work we’re doing with a video supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department.
Guatemala: The national coordinating officer for Disaster Reduction has organised a Cultural Festival for Resilience in the capital, Guatemala City, focused on persons living with disabilities and disaster.
As a part of this, 200 volunteers from ActionAid Guatemala and partners will be distributing leaflets, balloons, t-shirts and pens to people attending the festival.
Art groups involving children and adults with disabilities will be promoting the slogan, ‘Disability is NOT inability’. Ministers, senior government officials, diplomats and other officials will also be present.
Myanmar: We are working with communities to include people living with disabilities in disaster rehabilitation work and supporting their rights.
We’ll be holding a ‘disability and disaster risk reduction’ event for 500 participants, ranging from government officials to civil society organisations, and UN-organisations working on disaster risk reduction in Myanmar and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. They are also working with the media to showcase various disaster preparedness related activities.
Nepal: Two hundred people living with disabilities will attend an event organised by ActionAid Nepal and launched by a government Minister. It will focus on how to protect people living with disabilities from the impacts of disasters.