ECONOMYNEXT – People with disabilities, especially women and girls, are often vulnerable during climatic, weather and natural disasters UNFPA in Sri Lanka has said.
“Persons with disabilities face heightened risks during disasters, with women and girls often bearing the brunt due to gender and other biases,” UNFPA Sri Lanka Representative Kunle Adeniyi said.
In a message on social media to mark the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, Adeniyi said UNFPA Sri Lanka supports them, “amplifying their voices to build inclusive societies for all”.
The recent cyclone Fengal displaced 12,348 families who are were temporarily located at 247 centres in the 24 affected districts, deputy minister of defense Aruna Jayasekara said in the parliament.
Extreme weather conditions have restrained many from accessing safe places.
“In crises and disasters, the risk of exploitation and harassment rises sharply, further endangering women and girls with disabilities who already face disproportionately high rates of sexual and gender based violence,” UNFPA Sri Lanka said.
In response to the recent floods that affected many across the island, UNFPA Sri Lanka, with funding from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, supported by Sri Lanka Red Cross, FPA Sri Lanka, and the ministry of health, distributed 108 flood relief kits to women and girls between the ages of 16 to 49 in Kolonnawa and Kaduwela.
UNFPA Sri Lanka also recently launched the 16 Days Of Activism to end gender-based violence under this year’s theme, ‘Towards a GBV-Free Sri Lanka: Safe Public Spaces for All’.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Minister Sarojini Paulraj, parliamentarians, the Police, civil society and key private sector partners took part in a walk starting at Independence Square and culminating at Colombo Municipal Council. (Colombo/Dec04/2024)
