Displaying items by tag: Vulnerable groups

   This will be Channel Research's first Training in Monitoring and Evaluation applied to conflict prevention and peace-building initiatives in Sri Lanka. After the great success of the Channel Research training in Europe, Latin America and Africa, Channel is expanding the training to the practitioners in Asia. This course covers the basics of evaluation for aid interventions that take place in situations of fragility, tension or crisis. We cover the specific challenges this application poses, such as rudimentary plans, lack of information, or complex implementation structures. The training will be hold in English.

The response to the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 was rapid and multi-sectoral, bringing together UN agencies, international military forces and government and non-governmental actors. Physical rehabilitation (primarily physiotherapy, occupational therapy and prosthetics and orthotics) provided vital assistance to the large numbers of people injured during the earthquake. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) adopted in 2008 requires states to ensure that people with disabilities have access to mobility devices, and to ensure the protection and safety of disabled people in situations of risk, including armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. This article discusses…

Approximately 12.5% of the world’s population is aged 60 and above. In some countries, urban migration, high HIV prevalence, low birth rate, conflict and economic migration have resulted in significantly higher proportions of older people. Furthermore, demographic change means that the number of older people affected by crises and disasters is growing fast. By 2050, the number of people aged 60 and over will have tripled, reaching 2 billion. More than 80% of over-60s will be living in developing countries, where disasters are more likely and people have fewer resources to deal with their effects. In 2012, with funding from…

Global ageing is a great achievement of our times. Rates of ageing in developing countries are increasing three times faster than in Western Europe. But in disaster settings the very organisations set up to deliver to those most in need sadly often end up marginalising older people and people with disabilities. I was part of this community during my time in the Red Cross and when working with Save the Children. We need to stop putting communities in boxes and not addressing their holistic needs; this seems very hard to do. Many older people in disaster settings work hard to…

International jury selects only global NGO with singular focus on improving the lives of the world’s older people The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation presents the annual award, the world’s largest humanitarian prize, to an organisation that is doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. The foundation made the announcement today on International Women’s Day in recognition of the invisible role of older women in maintaining the welfare of families, communities and food production across the developing world. Read more: Help Age wins Hilton Humanitarian Prize on International Women's Day

Are aid agencies coordinating efforts for protecting children in large scale emergencies? Join Keeping Children Safe on its 10th anniversary for topical presentations and a panel discussion on the successes and challenges of protecting children and keeping them safe from harm in large scale emergencies. All children, whoever they are and wherever they are, have a right to be protected from harm and have their welfare promoted. While it has been known for some time that children are especially vulnerable to natural disasters and armed conflicts, we know that to protect children requires coordinated efforts amongst aid agencies and this…

Faith-Based Communities (FBCs) provide 40% to 50% of healthcare in developing countries and contribute greatly to HIV responses. One in five organisations working on HIV programmes are faith-based. Yet, during large-scale emergency responses, humanitarian actors have not realised the potential of FBCs to undertake HIV programming, nor have they utilised it by supporting or partnering with them. This may be due to humanitarian organisations’ preconceived ideas about FBCs’ capacity and their approaches to HIV services.A collaborative study between ODI, World Vision and Tearfund in 2009 aimed at understanding the role of Christian FBCs in responses to HIV in humanitarian settings,…

The Haitian earthquake in 2010 displaced thousands of people, forcing them into overcrowded spontaneous settlements. Women and girls in particular are at risk of violence in the camps, including sexual violence. This is a huge problem.In the first two months after the earthquake, the Commission of Women Victims for Victims (KOFAVIV)[1] logged 230 incidents of rape in just 15 camps in Port‐au‐Prince. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported 68 cases of rape in one month (April) at just one of its clinics in Port‐au‐Prince. The actual figures are likely to be substantially higher given significant under-reporting. A lack of adequate lighting…

The special feature of this issue of Humanitarian Exchange focuses on humanitarian action in the Middle East.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Iraq created a ‘Women and War’ advisor position in 2008, responsible for assessing and integrating women’s needs into ICRC programmes. Although no confirmed figures exist, there are estimates of over a million women-headed households (WHHs) in Iraq. Despite limitations on access imposed by insecurity, it was possible to meet Iraqi women from all walks of life in Jordan and in more secure areas in Iraq, to discuss the problems affecting them. Based on these initial consultations and working with contacts provided by local NGOs, the ICRC organised a field survey…