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Global Humanitarian Overview 2021

OCHA UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA)
December 2020

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A comprehensive, authoritative and evidence-based overview of the current state and future trends in humanitarian action with three sections: Global Trends; Inter-Agency Coordinated Appeals; and Delivering Better. There is a short section on people with disabilities in Global Trends.

 

Global humanitarian assistance report 2019

URQUHART, Angus
September 2019

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This report aims to reflect, respond to and inform efforts to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance. This year's focus is on recurrent and protracted crises, to better understand how assistance is provided over the multiple years of a crisis. In the context of ever-more-complex and enduring crises and the increasing demand on limited resources, there is a pressing need to address the underlying causes of crises. The GHA Report therefore looks beyond humanitarian financing to examine other resource flows to countries in crisis, including developmental official development assistance (ODA less humanitarian assistance) and foreign direct investment, and the role they can and should play alongside humanitarian assistance to address crisis. 

Chapters of the report include: people, crisis and assistance; internation humanitarian assistance; wider crisis financing; effectiveness, efficiency and quality; and methodology and definitions. [Each chapter can be downloaded separately]

 

Associated datasets are also freely available

  • International humanitarian assistance provided by government donors, 2000–2018
  • International humanitarian assistance by recipient countries, 2000-2017

The Effect of Age, Gender and Socioeconomic Status on Self-esteem, Body Image and Quality of Life of Amputees: An Evaluation Seven Years after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake

LAM, Tin-Wai J
TANG, Long-Ching L
CHAU, WW
LAW, SW
CHAN, KM
2019

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Purpose: Psychological well-being is a growing concern in society. It is starting to play a pivotal role in the treatment and care of clients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of age, sex and socioeconomic status on the self-esteem, body image and quality of life of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake amputees. Many of them are at a significant stage in their lives, especially those who are making the transition from childhood and adolescence into adulthood.

 

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2015. Forty-five participants were recruited from clinic sessions in Sichuan. The main outcome measures were Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), Chinese Amputee Body Image Scale (CABIS), and WHO Quality of Life-Bref Instrument (WHO-QOL-Bref). Results were analysed using Student’s T-test and Chi-square test where appropriate, and ANOVA for multi-group comparisons.

 

Results: Participants under 18 years of age scored higher in RSE (p=0.05), and lower in CABIS (p<0.005). They also scored higher in various QOL domains (D3: p<0.08, D4: p=0.06) and WHOQOL-Bref question 2 (p=0.06). Participants of different SES did not show any significant differences in the outcome measures. Female subjects scored higher in WHOQOL-Bref Question 1 (p=0.03).

 

Conclusion and Implication: Younger amputees have less body image distortion, higher quality of life and self-esteem compared to older amputees. Female amputees also appear to have a higher quality of life compared to male amputees. Socioeconomic status does not affect rehabilitation outcome and psychological well-being of amputees. However, the main factors affecting psychological well-being appear to be predominantly age and, possibly, gender.

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action

UNICEF
July 2017

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"The purpose of Including Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is to strengthen the inclusion of children and women with disabilities, and their families, in emergency preparedness, response and early recovery, and recovery and reconstruction. This series of booklets provides insight into the situation of children with disabilities in humanitarian contexts, highlights the ways in which they are excluded from humanitarian action, and offers practical actions and tips to better include children and adolescents with disabilities in all stages of humanitarian action. The booklets were created in response to UNICEF colleagues in the field expressing a need for a practical resource to guide their work. The information and recommendations are based on evidence and good practices gathered from literature and field staff experiences. The six booklets on how to include children and adolescents with disabilities in humanitarian programmes are as follows: 1) general guidance; 2) child protection; 3) education; 4) health and HIV/AIDS; 5) nutrition; 6) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)".

General guidance available July 2017. Others to follow.

In addition to the PDF versions in English, Arabic and French, the guidance is also available in a range of accessible formats, including EPUB, a Braille-ready file and accessible HTML formats. 

The guidance was developed in collaboration with Handicap International.

WCPT report : the role of physical therapists in disaster management

SKELTON, Peter
SYKES, Catherine
et al
March 2016

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This report has two main aims: to highlight the need for physical therapist involvement in disaster management and particularly in Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs); and to brief physical therapists who want to work in the field, and national and international agencies who are already working in the field. Following an introduction to the topic of disasters, the paper outlines in separate sections the three phases of disaster management most relevant to physical therapists: preparedness; response; and recovery. Each section includes information on the role of physical therapists and details guidelines and resources to support practice in disaster management. Case studies include: Nepal, 2015 April earthquake; 2011- great East Japan earthquake; integration of rehabilitation professionals into the UK Emergency Medical Team; Nepal, 2011 onwards; Phillipines, typhoon Sendong, 2011;  Phillipines, typhoon Haiyan, November 2013; Haiti, 2011- physical therapy in post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction; Pakistan, earthquake Oct 2005; Phillipines, typhoon Bopha 2012-2013.

WORLD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SURVEY - 2016 Climate Change Resilience: an opportunity for reducing inequalities

United Nations Secretariat, Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
2016

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This survey contributes to the debate on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addressing the specific challenge of building resilience to climate change, the Survey focuses on population groups and communities that are disproportionately affected by climate hazards, whose frequency and intensity are increasing with climate change. It argues that, in the absence of a continuum of policies designed to reduce the exposure and vulnerability of people to climate change, poverty and inequalities will only worsen. To the extent that the differential impact of climate hazards on people and communities is determined largely by the prevalence of multiple inequalities in respect of the access to resources and opportunities, policies aimed at building climate resilience provide an opportunity to address the structural determinants of poverty and inequality in their multiple dimensions.

Open working group proposal for sustainable development goals

UNITED NATIONS (UN)
2014

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This UN report sets out the proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals and accompanying targets, developed for consideration and appropriate action by the General Assembly at its 68th session. These goals were developed by the Open Working on Sustainable Development Goals as a result of the mandate set out in the Rio+20 outcome document

Note: Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals is issued as document A/68/970

Nonparametric estimation of a compensating variation : the cost of disability

HANCOCK, Ruth
MORCIANO, Marcello
PUDNEY, Stephen
December 2013

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This paper proposes a nonparametric matching approach to estimation of implicit costs based on the compensating variation (CV) principle. The paper aims to introduce the matching approach, compare its properties with those of the conventional indirect parametric approach, and demonstrate its application in an important policy area. The authors apply the method to estimate the additional personal costs experienced by disabled older people in Great Britain, finding that those costs are substantial, averaging in the range £48-61 a week, compared with the mean level of state disability benefit (£28) or total public support (£47) received. Estimated costs rise strongly with the severity of disability. The authors compare the nonparametric approach with the standard parametric method, finding that the latter tends to generate large overestimates unless conditions are ideal, and recommend the nonparametric approach

ISER Working Paper Series, No. 2013-26

Health : an ecosystem approach

LEBEL, Jean
2003

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Can people remain healthy in a world that is sick? Many ecological disasters can be directly traced to careless exploitation of the environment, with human beings as first perpetrator and then victim. Our health closely mirrors the health of our surroundings: this is the basis of the Ecohealth approach. It recognizes the links between humans and their biophysical, social, and economic environments, and that these links are reflected in the population's state of health. This is a new area of research, requiring input from scientists, community and interest groups, and decision-makers. This book describes this new approach, providing lessons and recommendations from various IDRC-supported research activities. It demonstrates how decision-makers, in particular, can use the ecohealth approach to formulate policies and solutions that are both immediately visible and sustainable over the long term

Reaching the most vulnerable : proposed supplement to the standard rules on the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities | Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on monitoring the implementation of th

LINDQVIST, Bengt
2002

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The Standard Rules is one of the most important tools for the inclusion of disabled people. In 2002 the United Nations special rapporteur presented a supplement for the standard rules which aims to fill the gaps within the standard rules and complement its text mentioning poverty alleviation, adequate housing and living conditions, special attention for disabled people in emergency situations, gender aspects and others. At the 42nd session of the Commission for Social Development in February 2004 it was suggested that this supplement for the standard rules be adopted.

SDG philanthropy platform : helping philanthropy engage in the global development agenda

SDG FUNDERS

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This website shows data on philanthropic investment, allowing people to find partners and identify and share experiences of effective collaboration. It contains many features, including a knowledge hub with reports, background papers, case studies and outcome documents, a dashboard of indicators displaying funding from philanthropy and the broader international development community by goal region, country and population group and much more

Technology justice : a call to action

MEIKLE, Amber

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This publication presents the concept of Technology Justice and the case for radical and urgent action to achieve it. It provides an insight into three key global technology injustices, using example cases from different countries and sectors to explore various drivers of this injustice. These Include: why the poor cannot access or use the essential technologies that others take for granted; how misuse and overuse of technologies is damaging the environment we live in now, and stacking up problems for future generations; how technological innovation often contributes to these injustices, and fails to focus on solving the most pressing social and environmental challenges we face. The report ends with a call to action, outlining the need for change

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