Desk Review on Humanitarian Action Inclusive of Persons with Disabilities

Prepared for the IASC Task Team on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

by Janet E. Lord 

in consultation with IASC Task Team co-chairs and members

The work of the IASC Task Team on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action (Task Team) is directly responsive to the call in the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, launched during the World Humanitarian Summit, for system-wide guidelines on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.  

To that end, a Desk Review was undertaken for informing the formulation of the guidelines and associated instruments. Its objective is to inform the development of the Guidelines by providing an overview and analysis of the current landscape. The focus of the Desk Review is on:

·         identifying and analyzing the differentiated needs of persons with disabilities in humanitarian crises; 

·         analyzing human rights law, international humanitarian law, refugees and IDP law and other relevant bodies of international law with a view to assessing the extent to which they provide adequate coverage of the needs identified; 

·         mapping the range of activities/sectors within which humanitarian actors work to assist and protect persons with disabilities in risk situations; 

·         mapping key actors and their responsibilities across the programme cycle of humanitarian action; and

·         developing key recommendations and an outline to inform the formulation of Guidelines.

The full Desk Review and its annexes are available for download here below.