Overview

Disasters disproportionately affect older people. Yet, this population is often “invisible” in terms of data about risks and needs, guidelines, planning and overall understanding of their unique needs during a disaster. This is gradually changing as the overall population ages and greater awareness about the needs for older adults is determined. However, seniors continue to be the group most vulnerable to loss of life in disasters.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, older adults composed only 15 percent of the population in New Orleans. But they made up 70 percent of the deaths related to the storm. It’s a familiar story. The majority of the identified victims of the 2018 Camp Fire were over the age of 60. Of the 77 victims who have been identified, the age range tells the story: five were under 50, six were 50-59, 19 were 60-69, 23 were between 70 and 79, 18 were 80-89 and six were 90 and older. When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, a third of those who died were over the age of 60, even though that age group accounted for less than 10 percent of the population in the hardest-hit areas. During Hurricane Sandy, half of the victims were older adults. And with the 2011 Japanese tsunami, two out of three who died were in the older age group.

There is no consensus worldwide as to what constitutes an older adult. In the U.S., and in many Western countries, the typical retirement age or ability to access a pension –usually 60 or 65—is used as a measurement of elevation to “senior citizen.” Yet, the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) welcomes membership from those 50 and over. These age designations do not work in many Global South communities where limited access to health care means that life expectancy is much lower. The United Nations uses 60 and older as its definition, but some health researchers indicate that it should be country specific, and perhaps as low as 50 for some countries in Africa, based on life expectancy.

One in ten people worldwide are over 60. According to the United Nations Population Fund, “In 1950, there were 205 million persons aged 60 or over in the world. By 2012, the number of older persons had increased to almost 810 million. That figure is projected to more than double by 2050, reaching 2 billion…The population aged 60 or over is growing at a faster rate than the total population in almost all world regions. Globally, the population aged 80 years or over is growing faster than any younger age group within the older population. The population of centenarians, those aged 100 years or over, is growing fastest.”

This increasing number of older adults means that emergency planners, service providers and philanthropy need to take the specific needs of seniors into account when planning disaster preparedness, response and recovery. To start, this means understanding why and how older adults are more vulnerable in a disaster.

There are a number of reasons older people are more vulnerable during a disaster. They may be isolated and stay primarily in their homes, with few people who check on them. In the August 2003 heat wave in Paris 79.6 percent of deaths occurred in individuals aged 75 years and over. August is a typical time of year for families and many service providers to be on vacation and away from the city. This meant when the unusual temperatures hit, these individuals did not get notified or have someone available to check on them.

Additionally, there is a link between poverty and old age, so older adults may not have the financial resources to prepare for a disaster or to carry out an evacuation. The National Council on Aging states, “Over 25 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($29,425 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss. For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change today’s realities into tomorrow’s troubles.”

Similarly, for some older individuals, especially those of a more advanced age, mobility can be an issue; they may not be able to drive or walk to a site for assistance/evacuation support. During a tsunami for example, individuals must move to higher ground very quickly and not all older people are physically capable of running.

The impact of past disasters plays a role too. During Hurricane Katrina, a number of older residents remembered Hurricane Betsy and felt that they would survive Katrina since they had made it through Betsy, so they did not evacuate.  Similarly, during Hurricane Sandy — which followed a comparable path to the prior year’s Hurricane Irene that had had very little impact in New York and New Jersey –- people chose to ride out the storm that had much more significant impacts.

In Katrina, as with many other New Orleans residents, and common across many other senior populations, a significant percentage did not own vehicles yet there were no buses provided for evacuation. This is particularly challenging for older adults living in rural communities where transit resources are scarce and distances to evacuation shelters, safety or resources greater.

Key Facts

• We are an increasingly older population—well beyond just the large number of Baby Boomers in North America. According to the United Nations’ “World Population Ageing 2013” report, population aging is taking place in nearly all countries worldwide. “Globally, the number of older persons (aged 60 years or over) is expected to more than double, from 841 million people in 2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050,” the report states. In addition, the number of older people is expected to surpass the number of children for the first time in 2047. Currently, about two-thirds of the world’s older persons live in developing countries.
• Dementia and cognitive loss can quickly take hold in times of stress. This can cause confusion and lack of ability even in seniors who were relatively independent prior to a disastrous event.
• Community and support systems are essential for recovery. Older adults are often separated from caretakers or other familiar faces to receive services. They may also lose or be separated from their pets. There’s a general lack of understanding that this type of separation can increase vulnerability and decrease resilience.
• Vulnerability of older adults in a disaster is not only a problem in developing nations. Older people can be marginalized anywhere. And whether the nation is developed or established, as young adults increasingly migrate to urban areas, older adults will likely remain in more rural parts, adding to possibilities of isolation and increasing vulnerability. Support services and transportation are often limited in rural communities.
• In the U.S., there’s an assumption that government services will cover whatever seniors need, but that is not necessarily the case. The lack of comprehensive health care, services and decreasing financial resources, means that seniors’ needs may not be covered comprehensively.
• The experience of older adults can be a great asset in times of disaster. That’s especially the case when it comes to looking out for orphans and other vulnerable children. Older adults also may have experience and insight, having survived previous disasters. The seniors of one island in the Indian Ocean, for example, helped keep the entire community alive when they saw the island’s animals running for the hills—a sign of the impending disaster.

How to Help

• Ensure that those involved in immediate disaster relief have supplies specifically for older adults. Those might include, for example, prescription and over-the-counter medicines for common ailments or aids for mobility, hearing and eyesight.
• Fund studies and efforts that specifically consider the needs of older adults—and put into practice lessons learned from previous disasters. A 2016 report from HelpAge International confirmed previous research that only 1-2 percent of humanitarian funded projects target older people. And yet, older adults make up as much as a quarter of the population in some emergency contexts.
• Fund the collection of aggregated data to ensure that the needs of all parts of a population are being served. Almost every disaster-related issue – housing, health care, transportation – affects seniors. Ensure that data is being collected comprehensively and recommendations are implemented to support the needs of elderly populations.
• Support efforts to include guidelines for seniors in disaster preparedness, relief and recovery. Include older adults, value and implement their insights, in the development of such guidelines and technical resources.
• Fund initiatives that help older adults be part of providing services rather than just receiving assistance. Too often, disaster responders discount the value that seniors can provide as volunteers or paid staff. Rather than providing services to them, work with organizations that support service delivery with seniors.
• Support efforts to include older people in food security and livelihood assistance programs. All too often, older individuals are excluded from such programs, even though they may be helping to support family or community members.
• Fund local initiatives for outreach before, during and after disasters, particularly targeting those who live in rural areas or are otherwise unable to make it to assistance sites on their own. Older adults in some countries have higher rates of illiteracy and may lack survival skills (such as being able to drive or knowing how to swim). Community efforts can help alleviate these challenges and build resilience.
• Partner with foundations and organizations who have already worked in this area to become better informed and prepared. On the list: the AARP Foundation, National Council on Aging, Grantmakers in Aging, the Altman Foundation, the New York Community Trust, the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Leading Age.

Learn More

• Building Resilience: Older Adults, Disasters, and Philanthropy
• Capacity Building Toolkit for including Aging & Disability Networks in Emergency Planning
• Resilient Communities: Empowering Older Adults in Disasters and Daily Life
• United Nations Population Fund: Chapter 1 – Setting the Scene
• Ageways: Practical Issues in Ageing and Development
• World Population Ageing 2013
• Why Older Adults Face More Danger in Natural Disasters
• Grantmakers in Aging

 
We welcome republication of our content. Please credit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Overview

While the official definition of people experiencing poverty is limited to those who live below the poverty line for their region, poverty cannot be defined by economics alone. A broader definition of poverty that is widely attributed to the World Bank is much more applicable to the conversation about how disasters affect people who have limited or no income.

“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time.

“Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways.  Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action — for the poor and the wealthy alike — a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.”

In this Issue Insight, CDP uses person-centered or person-first language to refer to people who have a lower socioeconomic status, rather than more typical references of “poor people” or “poverty-stricken.”

People experiencing poverty are more vulnerable to disasters because of the significant impacts of poverty on their daily lives. Places that are more prone to flooding offer more affordable housing – one study found that a 1% increase in the risk of flooding led to a 0.6% decrease in housing costs. There are 28,500 homes in Miami with a 20% risk of flooding. While this means their homes are likely cheaper by 12%, they are more dangerously situated because of the flood risk. People living in these homes often have additional influences that make them more vulnerable to disasters. They may be working more than one job or experiencing health issues. They may be unable to escape a cycle of racism that denies them better employment opportunities. Rarely is poverty the only issue in a person’s life.

“Large-scale events make the news, but repeated small adverse events such as regular floods often have serious implications for poor people. Although poor and nonpoor people may decide to live in places that are sometimes affected by natural hazards, only poor people live in dwellings which are frequently exposed to natural hazards.” – Hallegatte et al. (2020)

Poverty limits a person’s ability to deal with a disaster in many ways adequately. They are unable to afford landscaping to reduce the possibility of floods or fires and other mitigation measures. Disaster preparedness is not an option for most people experiencing poverty, many of whom are simply wondering how they will put food on their table tomorrow – not worrying about a disaster that may or may not happen. During a disaster, they are more likely to require additional supports, especially if they do not have a strong support network in the area. When you cannot afford a car, your only option to escape a disaster is transportation provided by others – nongovernmental organizations, government, friends, family or neighbors. People in a lower socioeconomic class are also less likely to have adequate insurance – or any insurance at all – and are often unable to afford to repair or replace damaged items without support from government or philanthropic organizations.

Key Facts

• Most American families cannot afford the cost of an evacuation. According to Operation Hope, “Nearly 185 million people in the U.S. are under financial stress. Sixty-three percent of middle-income Americans say they’re unable to afford a $500 car repair or a $1,000 emergency room bill.” The costs vary per type, scale and location of a disaster but could include: travel (gas, flight, rental vehicle), hotel or other accommodation, food and water, hygiene items and clothing. Some experts estimate this could be as much as $5,000 for a family of four. This means they would be challenged to find the means to leave and may choose to stay in a dangerous situation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a mixed impact on American poverty. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 34 million Americans or 10.5% of the population lived in poverty. In 2020, the largest annual increase since the 1960s saw 8 million people fall into poverty and brought the poverty rate to 11.8% as of December 2020. A comprehensive study by the Urban Institute found the an upward trend for 2021. It said, “The number of poor Americans is expected to fall by nearly 20 million from 2018 levels, a decline of almost 45 percent. The country has never cut poverty so much in such a short period of time, and the development is especially notable since it defies economic headwinds — the economy has nearly seven million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic.” The decline in poverty in this study is linked to the immense investment in social aid programs such as increased food stamps, supplemental unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, a Child Tax Benefit and nutritional programs and food distributions. At a cost of $1 trillion annually, it is unlikely that this spending on a social safety net will continue, and the poverty rate is likely to jump back to 2020 levels when spending is cut.
• There is an overlap between fragile countries and poverty. As of 2020, over two-thirds of people living in extreme poverty resided in fragile countries. This means they were also at higher risk from ill impacts of COVID-19. At least 34 countries in 2020 were home to a protracted crisis[1]. And, an estimated 243.8 million people living in 75 countries were assessed to be in need of humanitarian assistance.
• In 2020, 66% of people living in extreme poverty also lived in fragile countries. Nearly all (95%) of people living in extreme poverty in fragile states were in countries at high risk from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The elimination of poverty is at the top of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, 2% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty – less than $1.90/day. This amounts to more than 700 million people, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa and are much more likely to live in rural areas than in urban. While this was an incredible reduction from the 1960s, when 80% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic has set back decades of decline. The elimination of poverty is the biggest and most crucial step of the Sustainable Development Goals. It was already unlikely that the world would achieve its goal of eliminating poverty by 2030, despite the significant progress to date. However, COVID-19 reversed the decrease and, in fact, has added an estimated 124 million more people experiencing extreme poverty.
• The human and economic costs of disasters are likely being underestimated by as much as 60%. A 2016 report from The World Bank found that the impacts of extreme natural disasters force 26 million people into poverty every year. Beyond simply pushing people into poverty, the effect on well-being, such as people’s sense of comfort and security, their economic stability and the long-term generational effects, found that these extreme natural disasters are equivalent to losses of $520 billion every year.
• FEMA recovery funds do not come anywhere close to providing replacement value after disasters. In 2020, California was approved for two major disaster declarations related to wildfires: DR-4558-CA and DR-4569-CA. They approved 3,252 individual applications who each received an average of $8,440. While something is better than nothing, this does not come anywhere close to the replacement value of a lost home or even most vehicles. For people already experiencing poverty, this exacerbates their economic challenges and forces them deeper into poverty just to replace what they lost.
• According to a new report from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the World Bank, the effects of poverty on people experiencing disasters extend far beyond just the economic ones. “When unprecedented floods affected Mumbai in 2005, poor people lost 60 percent more than their richer neighbors—and when poor people lose the little they have, there are immediate and sometimes irreversible consequences for their health. In Ecuador, poor children exposed in utero to El Niño flooding in 1997-1998 were found to have relatively lower birth weights, shorter statures, and impaired cognitive abilities.”

How to Help

• Fund economic development, not just relief. While there is always an initial need for relief and aid after a disaster, it is far more effective and efficient to fund economic development. Long-term funding to help an economy grow will increase the employment rate and the number of people who can work. It is vital to help finance recovery for small businesses, particularly those owned by Black, Indigenous and People of Color. This will help pull more people out of poverty and reduce the long-term impact of a disaster on those people.
• Reduce or eliminate restrictions on funding. Many funding opportunities are restricted or designated for specific purposes. However, these restrictions can impede rapid and effective support after a disaster. Reducing or eliminating restrictions on how funds are spent can help ensure that local communities can fund needs that may be unique to their community, including poverty reduction.
• Support projects to reduce the cost of living and/or increase pay scales. There is a significant disparity between people who are wealthy and people who are experiencing poverty. The two most effective ways to reduce this disparity are reducing the living costs by subsidizing long-term costs or increasing pay rates. A living wage in Bozeman, Montana, will be different from a living wage in New York City, but people’s basic needs are the same in both places. Affordable housing, transportation, food, water, child care and other needs are all necessities and should be within reach of every person in every community.
• Fund projects that purchase locally. One of the fastest ways for a community to recover is for local businesses to be able to get up and running quickly. This brings jobs back into the community and helps stabilize the people living there. Feeding programs should only exist as long as local restaurants and grocery stores are closed or blocked. Once they reopen, residents and responders should get their meals there instead of a mass feeding site.

What Funders Are Doing

As part of our COVID-19 Response Fund, CDP awarded $100,000 to address the ongoing crisis of poverty in the Miami Valley region by supporting the Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley’s Choice Food Pantry and Family Stabilization & Support (FSS). This is a case management and financial assistance program. Funding will increase program capacity and client emergency financial assistance to serve an increased number of families impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also as part of our COVID-19 Response Fund, CDP awarded $145,000 to the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative for the immediate support of businesses owned by people of color to address the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, as well as support the long-term recovery and sustainability of the small business ecosystem.

Mercy Corps also received $475,000 from CDP’s 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund to support livelihoods on Abaco through their Restoring Industries and Sustaining Employment program, which provides small-scale grants, training and mentorship to support local economic recovery.

CDP awarded Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity a total of $1.7 million across two grants from our Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund. These grants were to help low-income homeowners achieve strength, stability and self-reliance by repairing and/or rebuilding their homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The grants also supported their involvement in repairing and rebuilding homes in Victoria County, Texas. There, they partnered with others to relocate individuals and families whose homes were in high-risk flooding areas who otherwise would not have been able to afford to move.

• In 2020, Mackenzie Scott made an unrestricted donation of $40 million to Texas A&M International University in Laredo, which primarily serves Hispanic students. This gift is part of $4.2 billion in funding Scott made to provide immediate support to people and organizations suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Special emphasis was given to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates and low access to philanthropic capital.
• In 2019, Comic Relief gave $965,918 to Habitat for Humanity Zambia to help residents and stakeholders increase legal homeownership and essential services, support communities to develop financial resilience through savings groups and gain access to micro-credit to improve their homes and secure them from floods.
• In 2021, the National Lottery Community Fund donated $34,048 to GM Poverty Action Limited to support their work to raise awareness, connect people and projects to share best practices in anti-poverty solutions and strengthen the voices of people in poverty.
• In 2018, the Maple Grove United Methodist Church received $7,500 to support their Bridges Out of Poverty program from the Columbus Jewish Foundation.

Learn More

• CDP Issue Insight: Remittances
• CDP Issue Insight: Insurance
• CDP Issue Insight: Climate Change
• The Atlantic: What the Camp Fire Revealed
• Borgen Magazine: How Natural Disasters Impact Impoverished Communities
• Ready.Gov/Operation Hope: Emergency Financial First Aid Kit
• Social Problems (Journal): Damages Done: The Longitudinal Impacts of Natural Hazards on Wealth Inequality in the United States
• World Bank: Understanding Poverty
• Operation Hope: Disaster Recovery Assistance

We welcome the republication of our content. Please credit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

[1] Development Initiatives defines countries experiencing protracted crisis as countries with at least five consecutive years of UN-coordinated humanitarian or refugee response plans as of the year of analysis. Protracted crises often involve more than one crisis happening at once (such as conflict, displacement and natural disasters). They combine acute and long-term needs, requiring strategic support to meet immediate needs and to address structural causes and reduce vulnerabilities to new shocks.

Overview

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities uses the following definition, “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others (emphasis added).”

According to the World Bank, “One billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries. One-fifth of the estimated global total, or between 110 million and 190 million people, experience significant disabilities. Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates.”

This creates an interactive cycle as indicated in the diagram below.

Barriers can exist in a range of areas including health care, employment, education, transportation, recreation, social outlets, housing or access to information, political or public life. These barriers often create challenges for people with disabilities to live full and complete, independent lives. The societal barriers associated with hearing and visual impairments, chronic health conditions and mobility challenges place people with disabilities at a greater risk for being impacted by a disaster. When a disaster hits, the lack of inclusion in disaster preparedness – combined with adverse socioeconomic outcomes – creates increased risk and problems for people with disabilities. Disasters also increase the disparities between people with disabilities and others in their community, making it more likely they will be disproportionately negatively impacted during the disaster and afterward.

A World Bank blog outlines five actions that can be taken to support recovery for people with disabilities. It draws from a report titled “Disability Inclusion in Disaster Risk Management” from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and the Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Bank:

1. Ensure that persons with disabilities have a seat at the table.
2. Remove barriers to full participation of persons with disabilities.
3. Increase awareness among governments on the needs of persons with disabilities.
4. Collect data that is inclusive of persons with disabilities.
5. “Build back better” by improving accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Key Facts

• People with disabilities are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality during a disaster. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, researchers found that the fatality rate for people with disabilities was two to four times higher than the general population.
• Following a disaster, there is an increase in the number of people with physical, sensory and psychosocial impairments. It is estimated that for every death in a disaster, an additional three people are injured or disabled. In the 2010 earthquake in Haiti approximately 200,000 people experienced injury or disabilities out of the 3 million who were affected.
• Poverty hinders people’s ability to prepare, evacuate and recover. Given the high rate of people with disabilities living in poverty, they may be limited in their ability to prepare for a disaster – from home mitigation efforts to building an emergency kit. Evacuation efforts must include accessible transportation for those with mobility disabilities.
• Disasters limit access to services. Following a disaster, access to prescription medications, daily-living assistance, home-delivered meals, basic hygiene, mental health services and healthcare for chronic conditions may be interrupted.
• Disasters tend to have greater impact on people with disabilities. For this vulnerable population, disasters are more likely to result in medical emergencies and/or necessitate transitional housing, home modification and mental health services and counseling.

How to Help

• Review all emergency preparedness or disaster information for accessibility. Text descriptions of photos and ability to resize text are important for people with visual disabilities. Deaf and Hard of Hearing folks appreciate both closed-captioning and sign language interpretation of all emergency announcements and press conferences. Care must be taken to ensure news stations include the interpreters in the visuals, especially in replays on the news and do not place captions over the interpreters’ hands or face.
• Support the replacement of durable medical equipment (DME), communication and assistive devices, prescription medication and other disability-related needs. Following a disaster, if a person has lost their DME they may be hindered in their recovery and forced into a position of dependency. The loss of a cane, support animal or mobility device may force someone to be home-bound or isolated. The loss of a feeding pump or oxygen may be life-threatening.
• Ensure shelters are safe spaces for people with disabilities. Often in disasters, people are separated from their health care or home support provider who is unlikely to evacuate with them. Shelters, especially critical care shelters, must provide options for support workers to evacuate with their clients.
• Provide core funding and operational support to help nonprofits and agencies who serve people with disabilities. Assist them to provide both preparedness and recovery services to:

– Support coordination and communication efforts regarding preparation and evacuation.

– Support evacuation transportation methods.

– Provide workshops and educational seminars that assist the elderly and disabled community in accessing benefits and other assistance in the aftermath of a disaster.

– Engage in advocacy to ensure rebuilding efforts are in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) laws and building codes.

– Establish funds that address immediate needs and long-term assistance for people with disabilities.

What Funders Are Doing

• Disability Rights Fund Inc. has provided several grants related to people with disabilities in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 11, situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, including:

– In 2016, a $30,000 grant was provided to the Center for Improving Qualified Activity in Life People with Disabilities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to help them advocate for disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs to be taught within inclusive and special schools throughout Indonesia. This was followed by a second grant in 2017 to help them promote the now mandatory education about disability-inclusive DRR.

– A one year, $20,000 grant was provided to Uganda National Action on Physical Disability to build the capacity of persons with disabilities in disaster prone areas of Eastern Uganda to advocate for inclusive disaster risk reduction and response policies and programs.

• In 2015, the Abilis Foundation provided a $2,775 grant to Forum for Human Rights on Disability – Nuwakot to support the approximately 700 disabled people who lost their homes in that region of Nepal following an earthquake on April 25, 2015. Additionally, the project aimed to lobby the Nepalese government to take disabled people into account its housing program.
• The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee provided a $25,000 grant to Vanuatu Society for Disabled People to guarantee that people with a disability were included in the response effort and had the support necessary to ensure they are better protected during future disasters. In the space of a few weeks, Vanuatu was hit by an earthquake, a volcanic eruption and Category 5 Cyclone Pam.

Learn More

• Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network
• Disability Inclusive DRR Network for Asia and Pacific/CBM – Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Management: Voices from the Field and Good Practices
• World Health Organization – Disasters, Disabilities and Rehabilitation
• Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery – Disability Inclusion in Disaster Risk Management: Promising Practices and Opportunities for Enhanced Engagement
• Administration for Community Living: Keeping Older Americans and People with Disabilities Safe and Healthy during Emergencies
• Global Disability Summit 2018
• Disability Rights Fund and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund
• Abilis Foundation
• 24 ASL Signs All First Responders Should Know

 
We welcome republication of our content. Please credit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Overview

According to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who, “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”

Refugees are different from internally displaced people who, while forcibly displaced from their homes do not choose or cannot cross an international border. They are also different from migrants who choose to travel to another country for work, education or to reunite with family.

Note: The phrase “climate refugee” is often used to refer to people who are (usually permanently) displaced from their homes due to climate change and/or the impact of a climate-related natural disaster. If these individuals do not cross an international border, they are more properly referred to as “internally displaced people” and are covered in our IDP Issue Insight. Even if they do cross an international border, they are unlikely to receive refugee status unless they can also show that they have a well-founded fear of persecution on one of the protected grounds.

Who Is a Refugee?

According to UNCHR – The UN Refugee Agency, in 2018, there were 70.8 million people who were “were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations.” This is an increase of 2.3 million from 2017.Of these, 25.9 million were refugees; 20.4 million were refugees under the protection of UNCHR and 5.5 million were Palestinian refugees under the protection of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Over half of all refugees are under the age of 18.

UNHCR stated that 67 percent of refugees came from five countries: Syrian Arab Republic (6.7 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.3 million), Myanmar/Burma (1.1 million) and Somalia (0.9 million). UNHCR also noted that the movement of people out of Venezuela in 2018 began to resemble the characteristics of refugees and by the end of 2018 there were 3.4 million people who had left Venezuela as refugees or asylum seekers. For more information see CDP’s Venezuelan Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis disaster profile.

Refugees often do not travel far; 80 percent are residing in countries that border their home country. The countries hosting the most refugees in 2018 were: Turkey (3.7 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), Uganda (1.2 million), Sudan (1.1 million) and Germany (1.1 million). Many of these host countries need support, as do the refugees themselves.

In December 2018, after two years of consultation led by the UNHCR, the Global Compact on Refugees was affirmed by the UN General Assembly. While 181 countries voted in favor, Hungary and the United States voted against it and the Dominican Republic, Eritrea and Libya abstained. According to UNHCR, the Global Compact on Refugees is “a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation. It provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that host communities get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives. It constitutes a unique opportunity to transform the way the world responds to refugee situations, benefiting both refugees and the communities that host them. Its four key objectives are to: ease the pressures on host countries; enhance refugee self-reliance; expand access to third-country solutions; [and] support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.”

Key Facts

• If conflict is involved, humanitarian assistance may need to remain fluid. This means donors need to be more flexible since they will likely need to put more trust in partnering nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) than they are accustomed to doing. Programs may be operating remotely, and therefore may be less transparent.
• Roughly three of four people who are displaced are women and dependent children. As a result, issues such as health care, nutrition and education must remain at the forefront.
• According to the Brookings Institution, the average length of displacement for a refugee is between 10 and 26 years. This occurs when the causes of displacement have not been addressed (i.e., the conflict and human rights abuses persist) or the conditions at home do not allow for return. At the same time, host and third countries are reluctant to provide full rights to the refugees. Better solutions are required to more efficiently and quickly move people out of refugee status.
• Most refugees are not living in camps but are living in protracted displacement in a community. UNHCR defines “protracted displacement” as five years or more. Most refugees are in urban areas, often living in overcrowded conditions, among other highly vulnerable and poor populations. This requires that the needs of host communities and refugees be considered in tandem.
• There are three traditional solutions for refugees: return, resettlement and local integration. These options are only used for about three percent of refugees annually. Host countries should be encouraged and supported to allow refugees to work, integrate them into local services including health and education, assist them to find better housing etc., even if they are not yet prepared to grant citizenship.
• Third country integration needs to be considered as a viable solution whenever possible. Host countries and wealthy countries can be part of the solution by welcoming large numbers of immigrants, as Canada did for Syrian refugees, bringing in 25,000 refugees in 100 days. A third country solution includes resettling more refugees and providing support to both refugees and local host communities.
• “Safe” third county agreements may prevent asylum seekers from reaching a place in which they can find safety as refugees. An asylum seeker is someone who is looking for international protection; all refugees are initially asylum seekers. A safe third country agreement requires an asylum seeker to stay in the first country where they arrive that may be able to provide sanctuary. So, an asylum seeker from Guatemala is required to apply for sanctuary in Mexico instead of proceeding to the United States.

How to Help

• Recognize that not all refugee situations are related to political issues. People can become refugees because of their race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. As a funder, it may still be possible to be involved in providing humanitarian assistance without “taking sides” in the conflict. In any event, humanitarian aid can be provided impartially and can be seen as nonpolitical.
• Continue to put pressure on countries of origin to create conditions conducive for return. This includes: ending conflicts, restoring rights, reducing corruption, improving economic opportunities, etc.
• Fund organizations working to provide immediate, short-term relief needs. Funders can support international NGOs working to provide food, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), shelter, basic household items and cash assistance to arriving refugees.
• Fund resettlement needs. A donor can address the social needs as refugees are resettled or receive asylum status. These needs will include cash assistance, education (particularly considering some children have been out of school for two years or more), learning a new language, mental health and psychosocial support services to address trauma issues. Funding this component of recovery allows refugees to achieve independent status in their host country and integrates them into their new community.
• Support long-term needs in this crisis. It is unlikely that the swell of refugees will disappear. Donors should look for ways to fund organizations working to improve reception centers and refugee sponsorship programs. Investments to boost the internal capacity of host nations to handle the refugee flow are also vital.
• Support education programs that will prepare the next generation for working on humanitarian issues. Foundationally, build compassion among youth for those who are different from them. And, recognize that as the challenges grow, so too must the skills and expertise of humanitarian workers—many of whom are facing life-threatening situations in assisting and protecting refugees and IDPs.
• Strengthen assistance to refugees within the U.S. Each year the U.S. admits thousands of refugees who are escaping conflict, although this number has decreased in recent years. Funders can play an important role in helping them integrate into local communities. Public information and education could be strengthened to build support for more effective refugee policies.
• Increase understanding of land tenure issues and how they affect those displaced. The restoration of land and property rights, for example, is a key component of long-term recovery.
• Give to the CDP Global Recovery Fund, our exclusive fund for international disasters. This fund provides an efficient, flexible solution to expedite a donation to address medium- to long-term recovery at sudden on-set disasters or protracted humanitarian emergencies.

What Funders Are Doing

• The CDP Global Refugee Crisis Fund distributed six grants totaling $486,441 in 2016 and 2017. The Fund focused on capacity-building efforts to protect people forcibly displaced within Syria. It was used to strengthen community-based protection initiatives for women and adolescents struggling through the ongoing conflict, as well as programs to improve adolescents’ psychological well-being through leadership training, education services and trauma support. The majority of these grants are listed in the Internally Displaced People Issue Insight; one grant is listed below.
• CDP received a designated gift in 2015 to support the International Rescue Committee’s programs in Europe. The purpose of this grant was to create sustainable and dignified conditions for refugees fleeing to Europe, with a particular focus on those arriving in Greece.
• American Jewish World Service gave a $50,000 grant in 2019 to Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment-West Nile to support social cohesion and conflict transformation among South Sudanese refugees and Ugandan host communities in the Omugo zone in Rhino Refugee Camp in northern Uganda.
• Ford Foundation gave three grants in 2018 to support Syrian refugees in Jordan. A $450,000 grant was given to Kiron Open Higher Education to support digital education for Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan. The University of Geneva received a $400,000 grant to strengthen a model for formal and non-formal higher education using blended learning for Syrian refugees in Jordan. Beyond Conflict received a $300,000 grant for the development of resources for Field Guide for Barefoot Psychologists that uses the science of stress, trauma and plasticity to empower young refugees affected by the Syrian conflict.

Learn More

• Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
• CDP Blog: A Better World Rests in Our Hands
• CDP Webinar: The Global Refugee Crisis: At Our Doors and Beyond
• 5 Things Funders Can Do to Address the Global Refugee Crisis
• Funding Worth Following in the Refugee Crisis
• A Donor’s Guide to Funding the Three Stages of the Refugee Crisis
• National Immigration Forum: Fact Sheet: U.S. Refugee Resettlement
• Institute for the Study of International Migration
• Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
• Cato Institute: Terrorism and Immigration: A Risk Analysis
• Women’s Refugee Commission: Protection Risks for Women and Girls in the European Refugee and Migrant Crisis
• Women’s Refugee Commission: No Safety for Refugee Women on the European Route
• Women’s Refugee Commission: Falling Through the Cracks: Refugee Women and Girls in Germany and Sweden

 
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