- A recent study commissioned in partnership with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that around 2.5 to 3.5 million refugees and displaced persons around the world live with disabilities.
- Well over 50% of disabilities are preventable and directly linked to poverty.
- Over 85% of people with disabilities live in poverty.
- 98% of children with disabilities in the developing world do not attend school.
- The mortality rates for children with disabilities can exceed 80%.
Heightened Vulnerability: Addressing the Needs of Refugees with Disabilities
Refugees with disabilities who cannot care for themselves often depend on the good will of families and friends.
The Most Vulnerable Among the Vulnerable
"They can break my bones, not my spirit" – Paul, a Congolese Tutsi refugee
Paul, a Congolese Tutsi refugee in Ethiopia, was made to watch his father and brother murdered in front of him by an armed militia group, before being forcibly recruited into its ranks. When he refused to fight, he was severely tortured. Near death, he was resuscitated for further torture but managed to escape with the help of people who took pity on him. Paul barely survived his ordeal, which left him with serious ongoing physical disabilities due to injuries to his back and bladder. Not surprisingly, as a result of his experiences he also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
When a mental or physical illness affects a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it becomes a disability. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, poverty is often the cause of disability, and disability in turn can result in poverty. Refugees are particularly at risk of incurring a disability both because, like Paul, they are often the survivors of or witnesses to acts of violence during the course of their displacement, and also because they lose their homes and possessions, becoming impoverished as a result of their flight. The harsh conditions refugees face while in exile often exacerbate existing disabilities or cause new ones to develop. These same conditions can make identifying and assisting those with disabilities a challenge.
A Note from the National Director
Dear Friends of JRS/USA:
Refugees are widely considered to be among the most vulnerable groups in the world. Imagine, then, the plight of disabled refugees, made doubly vulnerable both by their precarious refugee status and by mental or physical limitations that too often push them to the very edge of survival.
It is estimated that as many as three and one half million refugees and displaced persons live with disabilities. These people struggle with the same legal and humanitarian problems of other refugees. The disabled, however, must also meet additional mental and physical challenges while enduring social stigmatization. Refugees’ access to basic health care has long been an issue, but in the case of refugees with disabilities, the scarcity of medical and psychosocial services can make an already difficult situation worse.
In this issue, The Refugee Voice looks at circumstances facing refugees with disabilities and highlights efforts JRS is making to address their needs and protection concerns. We hope these stories shine a light on the situation of people living in the shadows and reinvigorate efforts to support them in their struggles.
We would like to especially thank JRS-Eastern Africa for use of photos and text, which form a significant part of this issue.
Fr. Ken Gavin, S.J.