Children, Disasters & Development

Children, Disasters and Development: Children and women are among the most affected ones in any disaster situation in terms of death, injury, being lost, violence, abduction, displacement, and distress. This is evident from the accounts of different disasters that have happened in Pakistan or elsewhere in the world. Studies have shown that disasters actually discriminate as they have disproportionately large impact child and women.  Like the human development approach where all human beings and especially poor are considered the centre of attention, the 'Child rights and needs as focus of development efforts. This approach dwells upon five major international commitments namely the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) 1989, World Summit for Children (WSC) 1990, the 20/20 initiative 1995, Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 1979, and Millennium Declaration.

It emphasizes upon and strategizes for ensuring that every child irrespective of his/her location, sex, age, race, religion, ethnicity, caste, economic status and abilities/disabilities could enjoy four basic rights of survival, protection, development, and participation in decisions that impact their lives.