SECTORS

Humanitarian action

Humanitarian action and disability are interlinked, as people with disabilities often face heightened risks during crises and conflicts. For every one person killed in a disaster, another three are injured or left with a permanent disability, and many face long-term psychosocial disabilities as a result of trauma. Despite this, people with disabilities are often excluded during humanitarian emergencies, and continue to face difficulties in accessing emergency support and essential services such as food distribution, medical care, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasises the importance of inclusive humanitarian responses that uphold the rights and dignity of all, including people with disabilities. Article 11 of the CRPD specifically addresses situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and mandates that States must ensure that people with disabilities access equal protection and safety in situations of risk. and that humanitarian assistance must be accessible. Effective humanitarian action requires the active participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in decision-making processes, ensuring that their specific needs and concerns are addressed.

Resources in this section include evidence and guidance to support inclusive humanitarian action efforts.

UNICEF (2022) Budgeting and mobilizing resources for disability inclusion in humanitarian actions

This resource is a short guide to support humanitarian programs and responses to ensure disability inclusion is adequately budgeted and resourced for.

UNICEF (2022) Cluster coordination – essential actions on disability inclusion

This document highlights the crucial role of cluster coordinators and information managers in coordinating and assisting partners to address the needs of people with disabilities.

UNICEF (2022) Disability inclusion in Accountability to Affected Populations

This guide assists humanitarian actors to ensure the inclusivity of Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanisms for people with disabilities.

IASC (2019) Inclusion of Persons with Disability in Humanitarian Action

These guidelines produced by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in 2019 set out what humanitarian actors must do in order to identify and respond to the needs and rights of people with disabilities in humanitarian settings.

UNICEF (2023) How to get started on disability inclusion in humanitarian action

This short guide outlines basic steps on how to get started on disability inclusion in a humanitarian context for disability focal points, emergency focal points, and staff engaged in humanitarian coordination.

CBM Global (2022) Engaging with organisations of persons with disabilities in humanitarian response

This brief captures CBM Global's learnings from engaging with OPDs in humanitarian response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CBM Global (2023) AHP III Bangladesh: A disability inclusion journey in the Rohingya crisis

This report documents achievements and lessons learned and presents recommendations to progress disability inclusion further in the Rohingya response and for the humanitarian sector at large.

UNICEF (2022) Engaging with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in humanitarian action

This tipsheet highlights the importance of involving organisations and informal groups of people with disabilities in humanitarian efforts, as outlined in the IASC Guidelines on 'Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action'.

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