One billion people live with a disability. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides a key opportunity to highlight the issues they face and take stock of how the humanitarian sector can play its part in building a more inclusive post-Covid-19 world. This is an urgent challenge.
People with disabilities already face multiple risks to their health, safety, food security and livelihoods, and are disproportionally affected in humanitarian emergencies. These difficulties are compounded by the pandemic. Covid-19 is intensifying existing inequalities and vulnerabilities while simultaneously exposing and exacerbating weaknesses in already deficient and fragile health and social protection systems, pushing many of those most at risk into adverse coping strategies.
In response to the pandemic, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee has issued detailed guidance advising humanitarian actors to take extra care to assess the possible impacts of Covid-19 prevention, mitigation and response measures on the most vulnerable among populations – including those with disabilities. It recognises that both the disease itself and prevention and control measures may affect people very differently.