Background
The atrocious Israeli aggression on Lebanon has led to a severe humanitarian crisis marked by intense bombing waves and the systematic destruction of residential areas, as well as economic, health, and social institutions. Additionally, tourist sites and archaeological landmarks in the Bekaa, South Lebanon, and the southern suburbs of Beirut have been heavily affected. This brutal aggression has plunged the entire country into emergency conditions, forcing many residents, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, to evacuate their homes in areas under bombardment and flee to safer locations.
Many of these individuals were forced to flee without their essential assistive devices or medications. Even worse, they faced significant challenges in finding shelter due to a lack of accessible facilities that could accommodate their needs. It is well known that persons with disabilities in Lebanon already face numerous barriers to accessing services, which are exacerbated during emergencies and armed conflicts. This is despite the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit’s launch of the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which highlighted the international community’s obligation to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in crisis response efforts. Unfortunately, Lebanon continues to exclude these individuals from emergency plans prepared to address the country’s ongoing humanitarian crises.
Given this dire situation, displaced persons with disabilities today face far greater challenges than under normal circumstances, particularly in obtaining the necessary support and securing accessible and appropriate shelter. In response, we, a coalition of organizations of persons with disabilities, UN agencies, and international and local organizations engaged in humanitarian relief, have recognized the necessity of establishing a taskforce and coordination framework to address these pressing needs.
Thus, the taskforce has been established in October 1st 2024, and invitations have been extended to various relevant organizations and the opportunity to join remains open to entities actively involved in relief efforts for displaced persons with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Aims & Objectives
The taskforce initiative aims to:
- Provide accessible and well-equipped shelters in displacement areas.
- Ensure the provision of psychological and social support.
- Supply assistive devices.
- Address other essential needs.
The initiative focuses on integrating displaced persons with disabilities into all humanitarian efforts, in alignment with the provisions of Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Its specific objectives are as follows:
- Establishing a referral system to address the needs of displaced persons with disabilities among the organizations and agencies participating in this taskforce.
- Identifying priorities to ensure the inclusion of displaced persons with disabilities all relief and needs response efforts, while safeguarding their social security, health, and psychological well-being.
- Coordinating humanitarian relief operations and project implementation to minimize duplication, promote equitable resource distribution, and ensure that assistance reaches all displaced persons with disabilities.
- Creating a coordination and cooperation mechanism to facilitate communication with relevant authorities, particularly emergency committees and disaster management bodies at both national and local levels.
Taskforce regulations
The taskforce is not a formal legal entity but rather a collaborative working group dedicated to ensuring the inclusion of displaced persons with disabilities in relief efforts and addressing their essential needs.
A. Membership
Membership is open to any organization of persons with disabilities, as well as associations, organizations, or entities involved in funding humanitarian efforts or actively participating in relief work. To join, organizations must express their interest and appoint a representative to participate on their behalf.
B. Meetings
The taskforce holds weekly meetings every Monday at 3:00 PM Beirut time, with additional meetings scheduled as needed. Taskforce members also maintain daily communication through a WhatsApp group, which serves as a platform for exchanging opinions, sharing information, ensuring service delivery, and coordinating referrals.