Persons with disabilities are highly vulnerable in emergency situations.

They may be left behind during evacuations because they may not understand what is going on, or they may not have the capacity to leave at short notice. They may struggle to gain access to food, water or healthcare assistance because of inaccessibly-constructed distribution sites, or they may not be able to use emergency shelters because of their design. They may also lose their assistive devices and ultimately their means of independence.

For these and other reasons, CBM partners with more than 750 local Partner organisations in many of the poorest countries around the world to support persons with disabilities and their families during an emergency. When disaster strikes, CBM can offer direct support to our Partners in the field who have the local knowledge, making it possible for them to support their clients, projects and staff who have been affected.

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, CBM, working closely with Partner organisations on the ground is able to identify persons with disabilities among the affected population and prioiritise meeting their immediate needs of food, water, shelter and healthcare support. In the longer term, CBM, with its Partners, also strives to make sure that persons with disabilities are included in the assessment, planning and implementation of an emergency response initiative.

Therefore, even after the initial stages of disaster response, CBM remains in the affected area to support Partners to plan and develop long-term programs to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities into all aspects of community life. Inclusive emergency response is thus an important aspect of the way CBM strives to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities in some of the world’s poorest countries.  

 Link to AlertNet, for the latest news on emergencies worldwide: AlertNet Homepage
 

The Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) is a non-governmental organisation first established in 1958 as an umbrella organisation for groups working with supporting persons with disabilities in Kenya. Its objective is to support persons with disabilities to overcome their limitations and empower them physically, economically and socially to become self-reliant and fully integrated members of their communities. APDK has 504 employees and government seconded staff, 230 of which are persons with disabilities.

The drought situation in Kenya is ongoing, with much of the country affected by the lack of adequate rainfall since April of 2009. Conditions have yielded a poor maize and bean harvest, and the resulting loss in income has meant many farmers are unable to pay school fees or purchase school supplies for their children, forcing many of them to drop out of school. Parents of children with disabilities have frequently been left with no other choice than to look for food and water instead of taking their children to rehabilitation services.

Others have discontinued home rehabilitation as they were forced to spend all their time looking for income to buy food. As a result the level of poverty within Kenya has increased dramatically and the child mortality rate has risen since many parents don’t have enough money to feed their children. But there is hope. The upcoming rainy season could provide many of these families a second opportunity to plant, cultivate and harvest new crops, but only if they get the financial assistance they need to do so.

With this in mind, CBM and APDK are launching a multi-pronged program aimed at helping 3000 persons with disabilities, and 6000 of their family members. The program will include:
 
Access to seeds, fertilizers and small animals that will hopefully lead to the harvest of quality crops, an increased number of animals reared and an increase in the production of milk from these animals.
 
Increased food distribution to make it possible for persons with disabilities to attend home and/or community rehabilitation services, to improve the general health of all children, and to reduce child mortality.
 
The distribution of assistive devices to increase mobility for persons living with disabilities, to increase the number of persons with disabilities engaged in development activities, to increase the number of children with disabilities attending school, and to increase the number of clients attending Orthopaedic Outreach Clinics, and:
 
The payment of school fees for children with disabilities, in order to make sure they are able to attend school.
 
This multi-pronged approach meets the immediate needs of those affected by the drought, by providing food distribution for the short term, and seeds, fertilizer, and small animals for the long-term. It also takes into account the needs of persons with disabilities, by providing assistive devices so they can regain their independence and become productive members of their community, and by paying school fees so that children with disabilities can return to school.
 
It’s not just about food, water and shelter, it’s about quality of life. And Inclusive emergency response is one way in which CBM, together with our Partners, is committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities living in low-income countries.

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