In the face of disaster, too many people like Huda are voiceless, defenceless and afraid. You can help give people the strength to face anything
The fight to survive a disaster is terrifying for anyone. But for a person with disabilities like Huda, who lives in the path of disaster, the risk of being seriously injured or even losing his life is far greater.
After a catastrophic cyclone tore through his village, Huda recalls…
“The cyclone washed everything away. Everyone was busy saving their own lives. We had to live hand to mouth in tents on the road.”
Although Huda and his family survived this cyclone, the devastation and destruction it caused only plunged them further into poverty. And they fear the next disaster could strike at any time.
Please will you help people like Huda find the strength to face disaster?
Imagine the feeling of being pushed aside as you fear for your life
People with disabilities and their families find it harder to escape disaster, find shelter and seek help. They’re forced to the back of every line.
Simply because they have a disability.
“My family had a hard time because of my disability. I couldn’t do anything on my own. I couldn’t talk to anyone, no one gave us much importance.”
This is the harsh reality for a person with disabilities living in extreme poverty – and in a part of the world where disasters wreak the most unthinkable havoc on vulnerable communities.
It means people like Huda live in deep fear.
“The fear of another natural disaster haunts me. I worry about how the people with disabilities in this village will cope.”
In communities like Huda’s, another disaster can strike at any moment. And if a family like Huda’s is unprepared, it could cost them their lives.
Please will you act before it’s too late?
Three ways you can help people find the strength to face disaster
- PREPARE: Your kind gift can help someone like Huda participate in the development of disability-inclusive disaster preparedness plans for their community. Huda and his wife Sufia know disaster could strike again at any moment. They MUST be ready.
- TRAIN: Your caring gift could help a person with a disability living in a disaster-prone area learn new skills to earn a living, so they are better prepared when the next disaster happens.
- PROTECT: A very generous gift can help a group of people with disabilities set up and participate in inclusive disaster simulation exercises so they are truly prepared for future disasters.
More families like Huda's will be vulnerable in the next disaster
When disaster strikes, people with disabilities feel defenceless. When it comes to making change in their communities, they feel voiceless. And they are terrified of what the next disaster will do to them and their families.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, if compassionate people like you can offer a loving hand.
Your support today can help bring people like Huda together to form strong, informed action groups within their communities. You can empower them to organise, learn their rights, speak up, and protect themselves from future disasters.
Will you act now for more families like Huda’s?