Held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the event attracted government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, and the media.
Basically, the event seeks to foster dialogue, share best practices while promoting inclusive strategies to ensure that PLWD are not left behind before, during and after disasters, particularly in the context of climate change.
Speaking at the event, Fallou Sowe, National Coordinator of NGBV, explained that the event forms another important step towards mainstreaming disability inclusion across national policies and programmes.
He reminded that disability can affect anyone at any stage of life and thus called on all to be more sensitive and proactive in addressing issues of the physically challenged.
Mr. Sowe noted that climate change and disasters can contribute to new disabilities and deepen existing vulnerabilities, making it critical for response mechanisms to deliberately include persons with disabilities.
He urged government, partners and communities to ensure that disability considerations are factored into all interventions, expressing hope that the forum would yield concrete strategies and action plans.
Magistrate Muhammed Krubally, Acting Executive Director of the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, described the forum as a significant milestone and praised NGBV for selecting a thematic focus that addresses inclusive disaster risk reduction.
He highlighted the long-standing exclusion of persons with disabilities from development processes, decision-making, legislation and disaster management, saying they are often considered last during evacuations and emergency responses.
Magistrate Krubally stressed that disability inclusion in disaster risk management is not only a moral obligation, but also a legal requirement, supported by international, regional and national frameworks.
He referenced provisions in The Gambia’s Persons with Disabilities Act and international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which he added, mandate the protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities during emergencies and humanitarian situations.
Speaking on behalf of the UNFPA Country Representative, Joye Michelle, Gender Programme Specialist, reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities.
The forum, she noted, also marks the conclusion of the second phase of the Global Disability Fund initiative, which she recalled, since 2022 has supported disability inclusion efforts in The Gambia in partnership with government institutions and organisations of persons with disabilities.
The project she added, has contributed to strengthening national leadership on disability inclusion, supporting the development of a national disability policy, establishing the National Advisory Council, and improving access to gender-based violence and rehabilitation services.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Principal Social Welfare Officer Muhammed Sumareh reiterated the ministry’s strong commitment to disability inclusion.
He described the forum as a necessary step towards addressing the heightened vulnerability of Persons With Disabilities especially during disasters, acknowledging that barriers in information, evacuation and recovery continues to put lives at risk.
Mr. Sumareh observed that despite existing legal and policy frameworks, disability inclusion in disaster risk management remains an unfinished task requiring collective action.
He commended NGBV, the Gambia Federation of the Disabled, UNFPA and other partners for organising the forum and urged participants to focus on generating clear, actionable outcomes.
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