On June 23rd the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children released landmark report (pdf) on refugees with disabilities in countries affected by conflict.
Findings, including the number of refugees with disabilities thought able to access appropriate care in camps are usually unable to access proper care from their host governments, from the report which states 2.5 and 3.5 million of the world’s 35 million displaced people also live with disabilities, possibly more, is a six month project by the Women’s Commission and co-funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is based on fact-finding missions to Ecuador, Yemen, Jordan, Thailand and Nepal (as well as significant field input from Darfur and Kenya), interviews with United Nations agencies and local organizations on the ground, and focus group discussions with refugees and others uprooted from their homes. Colombian, Somali, Iraqi, Burmese, Bhutanese and Sudanese populations were studied in camps and urban environments, in both emergency and protracted situations, with a particular focus on women, children and adolescents.
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children
What we recommend: urgently-needed, concrete solutions which can be put in place now to make their difficult lives more fulfilling and dignified.
