Recently, during a visit to various disaster-affected areas and holding centres in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, we had the opportunity to meet and interact directly with affected communities. During the visit, particular attention was given to understanding the situation of persons with disabilities. We also held discussions with representatives of the Nepal Red Cross Society regarding relief and rescue efforts and the situation of persons with disabilities in the affected areas.
People affected by the floods and landslides, who have lost their homes, property, and loved ones, continue to experience deep emotional and social distress. In such circumstances, persons with disabilities may require support beyond general relief assistance, based on their individual circumstances and specific needs. However, the lack of systematic and reliable data on affected persons with disabilities is making it difficult to identify who needs what kind of support.
For example, some individuals may require assistive devices for mobility, while others may need medication, personal assistance, accessible toilets, safe accommodation, or psychosocial support. Identifying these needs requires accurate information about the affected population as a first step. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a system for collecting separate, updated, and disaggregated data on persons with disabilities from the initial stages of disaster response.
During the visit, we also had the opportunity to speak directly with persons with disabilities and learn about the challenges they are facing and the support they require. Considering their circumstances, serious discussions were held on how we can continue to urge the government to take necessary policy and practical measures, as well as what roles we can play individually and institutionally to support affected persons.
As part of the visit, we also observed the Sneha Kendra operated by WOREC Nepal, psychosocial support services for affected women, and the Women Friendly Space. Such structures are playing an important role in providing a safe environment and necessary psychosocial support to women and children affected by disasters.
The visit highlighted that disaster relief should not be limited to distributing food and other relief materials. It is equally important to identify who needs what kind of assistance and ensure that support reaches people in a targeted and appropriate manner. In particular, the situation of persons with disabilities, women, children, older persons, and other groups at heightened risk must be separately identified and incorporated into relief, recovery, and rehabilitation plans.
At the same time, everyone visiting disaster-affected areas must observe basic principles of humanitarian sensitivity and dignity.
Let’s not take photographs without consent.
Photographs and videos of affected people should not be taken without their permission and consent when visiting holding centres or disaster-affected areas. Rather than turning people’s suffering into a subject of publicity, priority should be given to their privacy, dignity, and self-respect.
Let’s us not reopen people’s wounds.
For people who have lost everything, repeatedly asking questions such as “What happened?” or “How did it happen?” may cause additional emotional distress by forcing them to relive their traumatic experiences. Those providing support should focus on offering care, assistance, and encouragement rather than reopening their painful memories.
Let’s us prioritize children’s nutrition.
Children staying in disaster-affected camps and holding centers should have access to clean, safe, healthy, and nutritious food. Rather than relying only on easily available foods such as instant noodles, it is important to provide balanced diets that take into account children’s age and nutritional needs.
The situation observed during the visit to Rasuwa and Nuwakot made one important point clear: while providing relief during a disaster is important, ensuring that the right assistance reaches the right people is equally important. For this, we must not delay in establishing an inclusive disaster management system based on accurate data on affected persons with disabilities, identification of their situations and needs, and appropriate, targeted support.