Disaster and Disability in Bangladesh - Behinderung und Dritte Welt

A RTIKELDisaster and Disability in BangladeshHedda GiengerThe article describes the outcome of research concerning the efficiency of the Bangladeshi disaster managementsystem for people with disabilities in Bangladesh. People with disabilities and representatives of NGOs were questionedand gave an insight into the difficult situation faced by people with disabilities. Shortcomings of the systemand strategies to improve the situation are described and discussed.“People with disabilities are one of the most neglectedand alienated sections of the societyand as such remain more vulnerable to naturalhazards. In the absence of any special provisions,they face particular difficulties duringevacuation and in post evacuation shelters. Humancasualties during cyclones and tornadoescomprise proportionately more people with disabilities.(…) Every concerned Ministry of theGovernment of Bangladesh will prepare theirown Disaster Management Plans with a view tosafeguarding women/children/elderly/disabledfrom disaster.”The extract above is taken from the NationalPlan of Disaster Management 2009 to 2015 ofthe Bangladeshi Ministry of Food and DisasterManagement. According to this statement, theresponsible Bangladeshi Ministry is consciousthat people with disabilities face a very criticalsituation regarding disasters: not only is theirgreater vulnerability mentioned but also theirneed for special provisions. The Bangladeshigovernment has asked all ministries which workwithin the disaster-management system to developa plan with a view to safeguarding vulnerablegroups, e.g. people with disabilities.The fact that the Bangladeshi government emphasizesthe necessity for taking the needs ofpeople with disabilities into account showsawareness of the situation people with disabilitiesface. But does this really mean Bangladeshhas a disaster-management system which providesgood support to people with disabilities?Starting in the summer of 2008, I spent avoluntary year in Bangladesh working for anNGO called Social Assistance and Rehabilitationfor the Physically Vulnerable (SARPV) andconducted research on how efficiently the disaster-managementsystem works for peoplewith disabilities. SARPV is active in this area asthey support people with disabilities in the caseof disaster and felt that people with disabilitieswere discriminated against regarding all aspectsof disaster-related aid.MethodologyThe research was based on a comparison of theexisting Bangladeshi management system, theBangladeshi Ministry of Food and DisasterManagement Corporate Plan 2005 to 2009,the National Plan of Disaster Management2009 to 2015 and guidelines developed by theUnited Nations Secretariat of the InternationalStrategy of Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), whichare based on the Hyogo Framework for Action2005–2015 developed during the World Conferenceon Disaster Risk Reduction in Hyogo.These UN/ISDR guidelines contain major principlesof good management for all people affectedby disaster, including people with disabilities.For the research, these guidelineswere used as an example for good management.As Bangladesh ratified the Hyogo Framework,the basis of the UN/ISDR’s guidelines,along with 168 other states in 2005, I assumedthe Bangladeshi system would comply with theUN/ISDR’s guidelines or steps had been takento comply with them. During the comparison, itseemed that the Bangladeshi system and especiallythe measures and strategies in the CorporatePlan 2005-2009 as well as the NationalPlan 2009-2015 do comply with the guidelineslaid down by the UN/ISDR. But during a moreintensive literature research, it became obviousthat, especially on a community level, the systemdoes not work very efficiently. It seemed asthough the Bangladeshi government formallydrew attention to the situation of people withdisabilities in disaster situations, stating thatthese should be taken into account, but this didnot have any great consequences on a morepractical level regarding the disaster-managementsystem. There were numerous reports, articlesand studies describing how the systemfails and does not provide good support in preandpost-disaster situations. On a practicallevel, the Bangladeshi system does not seem tocomply with the UN/ISDR’s guidelines nor withthe policies and strategies set down by the officialBangladeshi side (One year after CycloneSidr: Fear replaces hope Oxfam 2008, Bangla-Zeitschrift Behinderung und Dritte Welt 1/201027