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INTERNATIONAL
RED CROSS - RED CRESCENT: WORLD DISASTERS REPORT: DISCRIMINATION IN
DISASTERS: 13/12/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 13 December 2007 -- The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today issued
their annual, World Disasters Report, that examines discrimination in disasters,
which groups are most discriminated against, how this happens, how it manifests
itself and how the vulnerability of these groups increases.
The
Report focuses
on the elderly, people with disabilities, certain minorities and women - people
whose views are seldom sought out or heard.
The
problem is sometimes exacerbated by the fact that discriminatory attitudes are
formed and fostered inside their own communities or families.
The
Report makes recommendations on how to ensure that the needs of
marginalized and vulnerable populations are taken into account in disaster
preparedness programmes, that these groups receive timely and adequate
assistance during emergencies, and that they are included in recovery activities
after a disaster.
It
also points to the responsibility of aid agencies and governments to
identify and address discriminatory attitudes and procedures. Race, colour, gender, language, religion, politics, opinion, national or
social origin, economic condition and birth are just some of the causes of
discrimination that can compromise certain groups’ access to aid.
“The
answer to this discrimination must be dialogue, openness and understanding,”
notes Markku Niskala, secretary general of the International Federation. “Aid
agencies need to work to change attitudes, develop inclusion and advocate on
behalf of marginalized groups. Discrimination thrives in the shadows, so we need
to chase those shadows away,” he underlines.
This
year’s World Disasters Report cites
the examples of blind, deaf or paralyzed people, who may not be able to flee
danger on their own.
Do
evacuation plans take into account that a part of the population may not know
how to read because they have been excluded from school?
Are
the nutritional and medical needs of the elderly and pregnant women taken into
account in assistance plans?
Do
distribution systems ensure all have access to essential food and water? Are
vulnerable women protected from sexual and other forms of violence in crisis
situations?
Among
the solutions proposed to tackle discrimination, this year’s Report
calls for a clear definition of marginalization and vulnerability, as well as
more information on the impact of discrimination, and on the vital need to
involve marginalized and vulnerable groups in the design and implementation of
emergency and developmental aid programmes.
The
World Disasters Report also includes a
section on disaster statistics and some analysis of global trends, supplied by
the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), based at the
Catholic University of Louvain, in
Belgium
.
Although
the news for the comparison between 2006 and 2005 is relatively good, the trends
over the past ten years show a dramatic increase in the number of reported
disasters and deaths over numbers for the previous decade.
In
2006, 427 natural disasters were reported worldwide – very close to the 2005
number (433). In comparison with 2005, the number of people reported to be
affected by these disasters (142 million) dropped 10 per cent, while the number
of people reported as killed (23,833) plunged by nearly 75 per cent.
The
number of technological disasters in 2006 (297) dropped 20 per cent compared to
2005, the death toll (9,900) decreased by 15 per cent, but the number of people
affected grew from 100,000 to 172,000.
In
2006, natural disasters accounted for the overwhelming majority of people
reported to be affected by all disasters (the total number was almost 50 per
cent less than the decade average of 268 million per year) and for 70 per cent
of the fatalities.
The
deadliest disaster last year was the May 2006 earthquake in
Yogyakarta
,
Indonesia
, that left 5,778 people dead.
In
contrast, comparing data for the past decade (1997-2006) with data for the
previous decade (1987-1996), the number of reported disasters grew from 4,241 to
6,806 – an increase of 60 per cent.
Over
the same period, the number of reported deaths doubled, from more than 600,000
to more than 1.2 million, and the average number of people reported affected per
year rose by 17 per cent, from approximately 230 million to 270 million.
Meanwhile,
the total cost of reported damage increased by 12 per cent. Better reporting of
smaller disasters partially explains these increases. However, more severe
disasters are also on the increase.
This
trend is confirmed by the International Federation’s own statistics. For
example, between 2004 and 2006, the number of disasters that Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies responded to increased by more than 70%.
Most
of them were caused by floods and other meteorological events. As of
10 October 2007
, the Federation had already recorded 410 disasters, 56% of which were
weather-related, which is consistent with the trend of rising numbers of climate
change-related disasters.
For
more information, or to set up interviews (ISDN line available in
Geneva
), please contact:
Marie-Françoise Borel, Information Officer, Tel: + 41 22 730 4343 / + 41 79 217
33 45 Media
Service Duty Phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81
The
International Federation, the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and
the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For further information on
International Federation activities, please consult our web site: www.ifrc.org
Labels: United
Nations, U.N., International
Red Cross, Red
Crescent Society, World
Disaster Report, Discrimination
~~~~~
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