Four Solutions for Protecting Human Rights During Natural Disasters Based on UN Guidelines

In recent days, at least 19 people have been killed in Shiraz, the central city of Fars Province, as a result of flooding caused by severe and sudden rainfall. State media have reported that at least 100 people have been injured and thousands of homes have been destroyed. Research by the United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations shows that natural disasters increase the risk of human rights violations, including discrimination and sexual violence.

The guideline of the UN Secretariat and its independent humanitarian partner IASC, which was revised in 2006, presents a human rights-centered approach to humanitarian assistance during natural disasters and crises. A summary of this guideline is presented below:

(It should be noted that Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali, a crisis management and emergency researcher and Iranian-Swedish citizen, is currently imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges. He continues to insist on his innocence and claims he was imprisoned for refusing to work as a spy for Iran’s intelligence organization. He was arrested in 2016 during a visit to Tehran at the invitation of Tehran University.)

Measures to Prevent Violence and Discrimination

1. “Protection of Life; Security and Physical Integrity of the Individual; and Family Dependencies”

The IASC emphasizes that when necessary, evacuation of buildings “must be carried out in a manner that fully respects the right of those affected by disasters to life, dignity, freedom and security, and does not discriminate against anyone.”

This requires communicating the reason for evacuation in a language that people can understand and also assuring families that they will not be separated. Aid and charitable workers also have the responsibility to protect people’s security, including against sexual violence, before and after the emergency phase.

Prevention measures include:

• Identifying and locating individuals who are particularly at risk. For example, single women or girls, single-parent families, unaccompanied or orphaned children, elderly people, people with disabilities, etc.
• Advocating for expanded security forces to provide necessary care in areas at risk of violence or sexual violence, theft, looting, etc., and generally areas prone to security disorder;
• Managing and raising awareness about specific needs among individuals who have new and specific security needs because of the crisis, such as exploitation, human trafficking, etc.;
• Avoiding very large or overcrowded shelters;
• Including representatives from affected populations, including women, children, elderly people and people with disabilities in care camps and public centers, especially in terms of:
  • Design, location, and layout of shelters;
  • Lighting, fencing and other security measures;
  • And safe areas and access to food and water distribution.

2. “Protection of Rights Related to Food Provision; Health; Shelter; and Education”

The IASC adds that “humanitarian materials and services should be provided based on identified needs, and also without any distinction except based on need and without any discrimination based on race, skin color, gender, language, disability, religion, and political opinions and other views, national or social origin, property, birth, age, and other characteristics.”

Measures to prevent discrimination during humanitarian activities related to natural disasters and crises include:

• Use of approved need assessment tools that include all classifications of individuals with special needs and provide neutral identification of needs;
• Specific monitoring for equal access of individuals with special needs, elderly people, people with disabilities, sick people or families with female heads of household and with infants or young children to food, water, health services and other humanitarian services. Otherwise, prioritizing these individuals in access to facilities or scheduling different hours for distribution of materials and services, etc.;
• Substantially including families with female heads of household, unaccompanied children, elderly people, people with disabilities and other individuals with special needs during the distribution of humanitarian assistance;
• Protecting distribution points against riots and other factors that use violence;
• Monitoring the risks that beneficiaries face after distribution;

3. “Protection of Rights Related to Housing; Land and Property; Livelihood; and Secondary and Higher Education”

The IASC guideline also notes that assistance measures must respect and protect individuals’ right to property. In this regard, aid workers should take these measures:

• Recording images of remaining properties and assets;
• Using standard forms to register abandoned refugee property;
• Expanding police forces in areas where damage and looting are possible;
• Ensuring property owners have access to effective solutions for addressing complaints regarding illegal occupation of their property.

4. “Protection of Rights Related to Registration; Relocation; Reshaping Family Relations; Right to Expression and Opinion; and Elections”

The IASC states that affected individuals and communities should “be allowed and have the opportunity to present their views and complaints regarding humanitarian assistance, assistance measures and reparations.”

• This requires establishing necessary procedures and opportunities for “affected individuals, including women, children, youth and members of minority groups to express their concerns and present their views on assistance measures and reparations.”
• Establishing a specific procedure for monitoring, reporting and investigating cases that have violated individuals’ rights in the areas of freedom of thought, expression and assembly, and as a result these individuals have been subjected to improper treatment as punishment for exercising their basic rights. Also, proper measures by legal and police forces should be ensured in such situations.

Source: Human Rights Campaign