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Slide 1
UCL Global Disability Research Group
Humanitarian Disaster Relief:Disability and the New Sphere
Guidelines
Dr Maria Kett
Leonard Cheshire Disability and InclusiveDevelopment Centre,
UCL
11th February 2010
Slide 2
Disability & Humanitarian Emergencies
• UN estimates that 25% of the entirepopulation is adversely affected inone way or another as a result ofdisability
• An estimated 3.5 million refugeesand internally displaced people livewith disabilities in refugee campsand urban slums (WRC).
• Armed conflict will be 8th mostcommon cause of disabilityworldwide by 2020 (WHO)
• 10% of an affected population willdevelop serious psychologicaltrauma
• Disability + poverty = less copingcapacities
Slide 3
Disability Inclusion…
“Disability is the result of theinteraction between an impairmentlimiting or altering a person’scapacities and that person’senvironment”
(UNCRP)
In emergencies there are structuralchanges that can affect this :
– Physical environment/infrastructure
– Political decisions
– Loss of social support networks
– Poverty
– Lack of knowledge/information
Slide 4
UNCRPD
Article 11 - Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies:
“States Parties shall take, in accordance with their obligations underinternational law, including international humanitarian law andinternational human rights law, all necessary measures to ensure theprotection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk,including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies andthe occurrence of natural disasters.”
Slide 5
Assumptions about persons with disabilities (1)
• That they require specialist care
• That specialist care/adaptationsare expensive
• They will be covered by generalaid distributions
Slide 6
Assumptions about persons with disabilities (2)
• They cannot help other people
• They’re waiting to be helped
• They’re unable to work
Slide 7
Variety of Standards and Guidelines Available
• SPHERE (and INEE companionstandards)
• IASC Guidelines)
• UNHCR handbook
• ICRC Professional Standards forProtection Work
• ALNAP Participation by Crisis-affected Populations Inhumanitarian action
• HAP 2007 standards
• NGO-specific and/or contextspecific Guidelines/Toolkits (e.g. HI,Women’s Refugee Commission)
Slide 8
So where are we with inclusion in current humanitarianpractice?
“There is little if any consideration of issues relatingto disability in the recent literature or in theevaluations reviewed, and it seems that this isanother mainstreaming challenge struggling toreceive sufficient attention”
(ALNAP 2010, The State of the Humanitarian System: 47)
Slide 9
Sphere 2004
“The groups most frequently at risk in disasters are women, children, olderpeople, disabled people and people living with HIV/AIDS. In certain contextspeople may also become vulnerable by reason of ethnic origin, religious orpolitical affiliation, or displacement….Specific vulnerabilities influence people’sability to cope and survive in a disaster, and those most at risk should beidentified in each context….
Special care must be taken to protect and provide for all affected groups in anon-discriminatory manner and according to their specific needs. However itshould be remembered that disaster-affected populations posses, andacquire, skills and capacities of their own to cope, and these should berecognised and supported.”
(Sphere 2004:27)
Slide 10
What are the crosscutting issues and why should they beaddresses in relief and recovery efforts?
• Age (older adults, children)
• Gender
• Disability
• Protection
• HIV/AIDS
• Environment/climatechange/DRR
• Psychosocial
• Education
Slide 11
Vulnerability
• What is vulnerability and how toapply it to disability?
• Vulnerability can be compoundedby many factors (vulnerabilities),including:
– Gender
– Age
– Underlying health conditions
– Location
– Status (e.g. minority group,combatants…)
• What about capacities andresilience?
Slide 12
The Challenges…
• How to set standards withoutpre-existing benchmarkers/indicators?
• How to quantify (some)thinginherently difficult to measure,e.g. rights, inclusion,participation…?
• How to increase collaborationacross cross-cutting issues?
Slide 13
The Sphere Project
What is Sphere?
The Sphere Project
Right to lifewith dignity
http://www.sphereproject.org/
Slide 14
The Sphere Project
Brief History
Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in
Disaster Response.
After the Rwanda crisis, pressure to perform up to
expectations has grown.
Trial version 1998, first edition 2000, second edition
2004
Low cost edition 2007.
Next handbook due 2010.
First Sphere “Companion module” (2008): INEE
Education in Emergencies and Chronic Crises and Early
Reconstruction Handbook
The Sphere Project
Right to lifewith dignity
Slide 15
The Sphere Project
Rationale for a New Edition
The Sphere Handbook a ‘living’ document: regularly
updated
Respond to / reflect changes in the context
Improve accessibility
Update indicators & guidance notes
Enhance linkages
Iron out problems
The Sphere Project
Right to lifewith dignity
Slide 16
Each Chapter includes
• Minimum standards
IntroductionWhat is Sphere?
• Key indicators
• Guidance notes
The Codeof Conduct
2004EditionThe Humanitarian
Charter
Standards commonto all sectors
Water Supply, Sanitationand Hygiene Promotion
Food Security, Nutritionand Food Aid
Shelter, Settlementand Non-Food items
Health Services
Slide 17
The Sphere Project
What is being revised?
Humanitarian Charter
Common Standards
Technical Standards
Cross-cutting issues: Children, Disability, DRR,
Gender, Older people, Protection, Psychosocial,
HIV/AIDS
Emerging issues (including: Conflict sensitivity;
Early Recovery; Urban settings; CIVMIL relations;
CCCM; Cash transfers )
The Sphere Project
Right to lifewith dignity
Slide 18
The Sphere Project
Challenges
The project is better known for technical content than
for the Humanitarian Charter. Some donors focus on
this too, while ‘opting out’ of the rights based approach.
Ensuring visibility of cross-cutting issues
Strong advocacy is required at field level to reaffirm
the importance of the Humanitarian Charter.
Adoption of Sphere by UN agencies and governments
Keeping Sphere relevant.
The Sphere Project
Right to lifewith dignity
Slide 19
Criticisms of the Sphere Project
1. A consensus?
2. ‘universalising’
3. Technocratic
4. ‘consumerist’
5. Lack of protection focus
6. No basis in IL
7. No compliance monitoring
8. Duty of who?
9. Quality assurance
Slide 20
Sphere Project Responses
• Revision – includingprotection focus
• Participation
• Consultation
• Consensus
• Translation
• Sphere India
Slide 21
Disability Revision Process
• Working Group:
members from specialist academicresearch centre's, INGOs; disabilityINGOs; Disabled People’sInternational; DPOs and IFRC, fromPeru, Kenya, India, Europe andNorth America
• Peer Group:
Over 30 members globally
• Revision workshops:
In Sierra Leone, India, Kenya plusacross agencies (e.g. World Vision)
• Public review (via web)
Slide 22
Recommendations (General)
• All new initiatives to produce guidelines, tools or standards should includedisability issues through the participation of disability organisations as well asdisabled persons organisations
• Ensure that persons with disabilities are well represented in the relief processand monitor their participation, decision making powers and access to allrelief activities including complaint mechanisms.
• Sphere must reflect UNCRPD
• Terminology must reflect UNCRPD
• Need to move away from over-emphasis on vulnerabilities
• Improve mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues– with specific targeting whenneeded
• Indicators of inclusion
• Disaggregated data
• Links with other cross-cutting issues – where are similarities – e.g.Assessment, participation, representation…
• Re-emphasis non-discrimination (HC)
Slide 23
Recommendations (Specific)
Slide 24
Questions?
Thank You!