Presenter: Kamal Abu Qamar , CBR Director, Gaza, Palestine

1. Oslo Conference on Disability in Conflicts and Emergencies: “reaching the most vulnerable” CBR in conflict: NSR &HI’s experiences from Gaza Presenter: Kamal Abu Qamar, CBR Director, Gaza, Palestine

2. Bombing in the heart of the city!

3. Villages, refugee camps & cities under fire

4. There are 40,370 PwDs; 47 % female, 34 % physical disability & 33% vision impairment

5. 36 % are children with disability of total number

6. Two stories from the conflict An elderly disabled woman was left alone at home after her family had fled after an Israeli tank smashed through their house while the disabled woman was inside!! A family, with two PwDs and an elderly mother, was told by the IDF to leave their house before it was blown up. The son carried his mother on his shoulders for a long distance until they arrived at a garage where they had stayed for 3 days!

7. Therefore… PwDs, PwIs and their families are often vulnerable during disasters; because of their impairments and also because many live in poverty. But, they are often ignored or excluded by those people and organizations trying to assist the wounded and displaced during conflict situations.

8. Mainstreaming • Mainstreaming refers to a strategy through which concerns, needs and experiences of people with disabilities are made integral part/dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that people with disabilities benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. (Albert, 2005)

9. UNCRPD • Art 11 • States Parties shall take, in accordance with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.

10. IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING • FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL • IN EMERGENCY EVERYTHING IS URGENT • Programmes and designs include actions to reduce people’s vulnerability to future hazards and increase their capacity to manage and cope with them.

11. Handicap International’s (HI) contingency plan for the National Society for Rehabilitation (NSR) In Gaza, HI has assisted NSR & other partners in training a group of 120 professionals; 20 in each assigned Province except Gaza city 40. Emergency team includes: CBR workers, nursery staff, physio-therapists and occupational therapists - to provide humanitarian aid. This training includes first aid and day-to-day support for PwDs, PwIs and their families during conflict situations.

12. Emergency goal in Gaza Through the training, the overall goal is to enable PwDs, PwIs and their families to access all available emergency resources and assistance during conflict situations. These include …

13. HI’s resources and services Provision of non-food items, e.g., wheel chairs, walkers, crutches, dressings for wounds, personal hygienic kits, blankets, etc. Domestic rehabilitation services for PwDs and PwIs e.g., dressing wounds, physiotherapy, orthopedic therapy, nursing sessions, etc. Working with local and international partners and service providers. Thus assisting PwDs’ access to available resources and services.

14. Informing Gaza residents • Gaza residents are informed of activities through: • radio broadcasts • leaflets • posters • a website.

15. HI & CBR work is… • Flexible: HI’s work develops and changes according to the people’s needs during the conflict. • Comprehensive: it provides basic knowledge and practical skills to many professionals. • Using participatory approaches: HI’s local partner stakeholders and other like-minded actors work together to identify needs and develop plans of action. These include…

16. HI’s local partners include… • National Society for Rehabilitation • Palestinian Medical Relief Society • Red Crescent Society • Artificial Limb Centre • Physical Rehabilitation Centre • Hajar Center for Assistive Devices

17. Why were HI & partners prepared? • HI had contingency plans in place to assist PwDs, PwIs and their families before the latest Gaza conflict broke out because: • it had learned lessons from previous wars and internal civil unrest in many parts of the world • it had learned from the last war in the Gaza Strip (2008-2009).

18. Risks to the CBR programme • unpredictable aggressions • indiscriminate shelling of civilian localities; therefore no place is safe • ambulances are targeted • there is an absence of effective communication • there are few safe places, e.g., underground refuges • rarely are the needs of the emergency team prioritised (by official structures) during time of crisis.

19. Ways of working Emergency programme is flexible and can thus work in a variety of ways, depending on the scenario. • Scenario A: A natural crisis • Scenario B: A war or large-scale conflict • Scenario C: An internal civil war. The following communication tree shows how the CBR programme can adapt to different challenges…

20. Communication tree Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C

21. Persons with disabilities in emergency • Persons with disabilities have the same rights and needs for standard disaster support (mainstream) services • To have equal opportunities to participate in humanitarian response they might require additional support and services

22. Conclusion • Disasters provide an opportunity to change social structures!The inclusion of disability thinking and visibility contributes to increased interest and awareness locally and internationallyTaking into account the specific needs of groups with disabilities are to respect human rights and contribute to a greater dignity and that disability is seen as part of society on equal termsHuman Rights applies to all!

23. Thank-you for your time today.