People with disabilities too often forgotten in disasters - Typhoon Haiyan delegation looks back on a year of devastation
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© CBM
Father and son Jaime senior and Jaime junior standing in front their house damaged by the typhoon in 2013. The family received relief supplies distributed by CBM and its partner in the Philippines, ADPI (Association of Disabled People Iloilo) © CBM
People with disabilities and older people are often overlooked in disaster relief responses to catastrophic events like Typhoon Haiyan, which this time last year, hit the Philippines with record winds of at least 165 miles an hour.
10th November 2014
Marking the first anniversary of the strongest tropical cyclone ever to make landfall, a Filipino delegation, hosted by Irish NGO, CBM, met with Oireachtas members today to update them on the progress that has been made in tackling the devastation wrought on their nation.
The delegation said that given the Irish humanitarian legacy, the Irish Government and Irish emergency responders could now be world leaders in ensuring humanitarian responses to emergencies and disasters are inclusive of people with disabilities and older people. The Irish public donated generously to the Typhoon Haiyan appeal, led out by Ireland’s 20,000 strong Filipino community.
CBM’s Barney McGlade, an Irishman working in the Philippines for over 20 years, said that the lack of consideration given to people with disabilities often meant that standard evacuation procedures are simply inaccessible to thousands of people. He also said that survivors with disabilities were also often excluded from basic emergency responses like food and health support.
He also drew attention to the plight of the tens of thousands of people injured or left with disabilities following a climatic or natural disaster. Over 6,000 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan but for every person that dies, it is estimated that three people sustain an injury, many causing long-term disabilities.
“Unfortunately, the needs of people with disabilities often get overlooked in disaster relief efforts – for example, following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami research shows that the mortality rate among people with disability was twice that of the rest of the population.”
“The lack of consideration given to including people with disabilities means that survivors with disabilities are often also excluded from the emergency responses: including food, basic needs and health support,” he said. “We are urging the Government and emergency responders to ensure that humanitarian responses to emergencies and disasters are inclusive of people with disabilities from the start.”
It is estimated that by 2050, there will be at least 200 million people displaced by climatic events and 15% of these people will be people with disabilities, that’s 30 million people.
CBM Ireland is an international Christian development organisation, committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.
For more information contact:
Edel Hackett, Tel: 087-2935207
The delegation said that given the Irish humanitarian legacy, the Irish Government and Irish emergency responders could now be world leaders in ensuring humanitarian responses to emergencies and disasters are inclusive of people with disabilities and older people. The Irish public donated generously to the Typhoon Haiyan appeal, led out by Ireland’s 20,000 strong Filipino community.
CBM’s Barney McGlade, an Irishman working in the Philippines for over 20 years, said that the lack of consideration given to people with disabilities often meant that standard evacuation procedures are simply inaccessible to thousands of people. He also said that survivors with disabilities were also often excluded from basic emergency responses like food and health support.
He also drew attention to the plight of the tens of thousands of people injured or left with disabilities following a climatic or natural disaster. Over 6,000 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan but for every person that dies, it is estimated that three people sustain an injury, many causing long-term disabilities.
“Unfortunately, the needs of people with disabilities often get overlooked in disaster relief efforts – for example, following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami research shows that the mortality rate among people with disability was twice that of the rest of the population.”
“The lack of consideration given to including people with disabilities means that survivors with disabilities are often also excluded from the emergency responses: including food, basic needs and health support,” he said. “We are urging the Government and emergency responders to ensure that humanitarian responses to emergencies and disasters are inclusive of people with disabilities from the start.”
It is estimated that by 2050, there will be at least 200 million people displaced by climatic events and 15% of these people will be people with disabilities, that’s 30 million people.
CBM Ireland is an international Christian development organisation, committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.
For more information contact:
Edel Hackett, Tel: 087-2935207
Note on events
The Filipino delegation, hosted by CBM Ireland, will meet with Oireachtas members on November 11th, at 2:30 pm at Leinster House.
A photographic exhibition and discussion forum will take place on November 12th at 6:30 pm at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
The Filipino delegation, hosted by CBM Ireland, will meet with Oireachtas members on November 11th, at 2:30 pm at Leinster House.
A photographic exhibition and discussion forum will take place on November 12th at 6:30 pm at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Photo Exhibition marking the anniversary of Haiyan 
