– In-School Art and Essay Competition set to observe themeCome tomorrow, Guyana will be observing International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013, under the theme ‘Living with Disability and Disasters’.An observance ceremony was held yesterday at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown, in the presence of the representatives of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Guyana, the Guyana Volunteer Corps, the National Commission on Disability (NCD) and UNICEF.According to Chabilall Ramsarup, Colonel and Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, persons with disabilities are the ones who suffer the most when disasters occur, noting that in some cases when disasters strike, such persons are even neglected.This, Ramsarup emphasized, should not be the case.He said that International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013 will focus on developing policies that will best cater for differently-abled persons in the case of a disaster.This is even more important to do, since it was revealed by Operations and Training Officer of the Civil Defence Commission, Major Kester Craig, that 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some form of disability.He also challenged stakeholders and the various sectors of society to apply this year’s theme to their everyday lives.Emergency Specialist attached to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mr. Ian Jones, noted that there isn’t enough focus being placed on all of the needs of a disabled person.He gave the example of a young woman who received five wheelchairs following a disaster, but no one paid attention to whether she had food and water.Jones said that while the differently-abled might need some kind of equipment to get from point A to point B, and assistance to cross the road etc, they are also in need of the basic necessities like food,
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