We are pleased to introduce the OPD Fellows, who have been engaged by the DRG to support implementation of the USAID-funded project on capacity building of OPDs to engage in humanitarian action. The Fellows will support the DRG in building effective linkages between humanitarian and disability movement, strengthening networks and community of practice as well as contextualising training materials developed under the project to regional contexts.

The fellows bring together a mixture of experience, skills, and background and a common objective of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.

People with disabilities living in IDP sites face challenges such as participating in activities mainly due to accessibility challenges. In response, IOM Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) teams have set up Disability Inclusion Committees to promote participation of persons living with disabilities in camps. Persons living with disabilities are also included in the regular collection of complaints and feedback through the use of CCCM mobile outreach teams. The Women Participation Project sensitizes IDPs on the importance of participation by persons living with disabilities in site activities. 

To develop a strong and comprehensive understanding of disability and inclusion in IDP sites, this project implemented a dedicated assessment amongst displaced households hosted in three targeted sites across Montepuez district.

Deadline: Friday, March 3rd, 2023

This survey has been designed for a person with disability or a caregiver to share their experience of living in disaster prone areas. The purpose of the survey is to review whether persons with disabilities who are living with disaster risk today are more involved in planning and decision-making processes to reduce risk or build resilience than they were in 2015, when the Sendai Framework was adopted.

The survey is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Indonesian, Russian and Spanish.

Deadline: Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

The CRPD Committee decided to hold a Day of General Discussion on Article 11 CRPD at its 28^th session in March 2023, initiating the process towards the adoption of general comment 9 on that article. As an input for substantive discussions, the CRPD Committee welcomes written contributions by interested stakeholders. Written contributions should not exceed 10 pages and should be submitted in English, French or Spanish.

ELRHA has released a catalogue that profiles the range of innovations supported through their Humanitarian Investment Fund (HIF), many of which focused on gaining deeper understanding of problems to underpin further innovation. It provides valuable insights into the contextual barriers to inclusion, illustrating the complex intersections between disability and older age in different cultural contexts and humanitarian settings. Insights which are crucial for innovations to meaningfully overcome the barriers experienced by persons with disabilities.

In this joint statement, the International Disability Alliance and European Disability Forum express their concerns regarding humanitarian situation caused by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the lifeline road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

The closure of the corridor has led to a series of human rights violations as well as denial of humanitarian access that has a disproportionately negative impact on persons with disabilities.