Feminist Peace Network

October 14th, 2008

The Impact of Natural Disasters on Vulnerable Populations

The following, offers important documentation of the specific needs of vulnerable women and children in the aftermath of natural disasters:

On the occasion of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (8 October 2008), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is launching the study: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Violence of Vulnerable Persons: Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic at UN-INSTRAW headquarters on 9 October 2008.

The evaluation seeks to analyze the impact of natural disasters on vulnerable populations, such as boys, girls, adolescents, women, persons living with HIV/AIDS, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as analyze the provision of sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of violence against women.

During the interview it was pointed out that women of reproductive age face limitations in accessing pre-natal and post-natal care, as well as greater risk of vaginal infections, pregnancy complications including spontaneous abortion, unplanned pregnancy, and post-traumatic stress. An increase in violence against women was also recorded.

Boys, girls and adolescents faced cases of violence, health problems, damage to the educational infrastructure, and a loss of space in primary socialization. The elderly suffered material losses and means to produce income, deteriorated health, post-traumatic stress, as well as obstacles in receiving assistance to evacuate and occupy shelters. Lastly, persons living with HIV/AIDS faced obstacles in accessing anti-retroviral treatment (ARV).

In the Dominican Republic, 24% of women between 15 and 49 years declared having experienced some form of physical violence (ENDESA 2002). The evaluation shows that in natural disaster situations and in post-disaster recuperation, the cases of violence may increase. “Given the stress that this situation caused and the life in the refuges, men attacked women more frequently. I visited several shelters with such a problem”, commented one of the informants of the evaluation.

All vulnerable groups that were interviewed suffered post-traumatic stress (mourning, sadness, and derpression) as a consequence of losing their home, furniture, work, income and other means of life. Natural disasters forced people to repeatedly “start from zero,” and caused psychological fatigue. “We went through a moment of crisis, because when there are children and pregnant women in the middle of a flood, it is very difficult psychologically-speaking”, stated another informant.

In the face of obstacles and the needs that have been identified, the evaluation proposes a series of concrete recommendations, amongst which are to: improve the sexual and reproductive health of women and adolescents in natural disaster situations and in post-disaster recovery; ensure access to contraceptive measures, particularly condoms for the prevention of transmission of HIV; provide post-natal care; medicine to combat infections and post-traumatic stress; provide an adequate response to cases of violence against women, girls and boys; include the provision of health and legal services; and improve the security situation of shelters to prevent cases of abuse of power by guards.