Humanitarian Action

CBM Humanitarian Mandate

CBM’s main humanitarian goal is to support and facilitate locally driven people-centred, timely, appropriate and effective humanitarian assistance to some of the poorest and most at-risk men, women and children affected by natural and human-caused disasters. This support is delivered in partnership with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and in close coordination with the humanitarian sector at global, regional, national and local levels.

In doing so we commit to render humanitarian action inclusive by:

  • Lifting the barriers people with disabilities face when accessing relief, protection and recovery support.

  • Ensuring the meaningful participation of people with disabilities in humanitarian decision making and throughout the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of humanitarian programmes.

  • Empowering people with disabilities and supporting them to build their capacities.

  • Supporting mainstream actors through technical assistance.

How We Work

At a global level

We co-chair the Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action together with UNICEF and the International Disability Alliance (IDA). Through this role we support international efforts in raising awareness on the importance of disability inclusion in humanitarian action, fostering collaboration and coordination between OPDs, mainstream humanitarian actors and UN entities, and supporting the development and promotion of new practical tools, guidance and policies for disability inclusive programming.

At a country level

CBM is fully committed to the localisation of aid. Our programmes are always implemented through national and local actors, alongside the disability movement. Services are focused on the following three main programme areas:

Inclusive Eye Health

Our services include, among others:

• Rehabilitation to people with injuries

• Provision of assistive devices

• Delivery of inclusive primary health services

• Support of referral to tertiary hospitals for surgery

• Promotion of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing

• Support to access essential medicines

• Capacity building of partners

• Support in developing mid and long-term community-based rehabilitation services.

Inclusive Basic Needs Assistance

Our services focus on:

• Food provision, non-food Items, WASH and livelihood services accessible to people with disabilities through:

• Building capacity of providers in making their services inclusive through:

• Supporting inclusive child-friendly spaces.

• Supporting local economy through local purchasing and inclusive cash-based interventions.

• Supporting the recovery of inclusive livelihoods.

Disability inclusion technical advisory in crisis situations

Recognising that CBM programmes alone cannot achieve inclusion of all people with disabilities affected by humanitarian crises. Greater impact could be achieved through collaboration with mainstream humanitarian actors and peer organisations. CBM has progressively expanded on provision of external advise and technical assistance to the humanitarian sector. Our external advisory work seeks to harness the resources (including budgets, expertise, networks and program scale) of others towards disability inclusive humanitarian action, thereby expanding CBM reach and promoting more equal access to aid.

CBM Ireland International Humanitarian Commitments

CBM humanitarian work is committed to and guided by the principles stated in the following international documents: