DISASTERS AND ETHICS

What is Ethics? 
Ethics are toral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity, and the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.
Of course, globally speaking, we all are born equal in regards to Human Rights. Today, millions of people consider human rights as self-evident. But its global endorsement did not occur until 1948 when it was stated explicitly in the United Nations’(UN’s) Declaration of Human Rights. We should remember, though that it is not an international law, because this Declaration is not legally binding for any nation. So, billions of people and many countries of the world still don't respect the human rights, violating them regularly and cruelly. The situation is aggravating when disasters strike, especially concerning vulnerable populations and groups of people, such as women, children and youth, elderly, people with special needs, poor, refugees, people under war conditions, etc.

The main global issues in all disasters are:

A. Protection of Life, Security of the Person, Physical Integrity and Dignity (evacuations, relocations and other life-saving measures, protection against the negative impacts of natural hazards, protection against violence including gender-based violence, camp security)

B. Protection of Rights Related to Basic Necessities of Life (access to goods, services, and humanitarian action, provision of adequate food, water and sanitation, shelter, clothing and essential health services

C. Protection of Other Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, education, property and possession, housing, livelihood and work

D. Protection of Other Civil and Political Rights (documentation, freedom of movement and right to return, family life and missing or dead relatives, expression, assembly and association, and religion, electoral rights).

Normally, the four phases of disaster policies (prevention, planning, response and mitigation) are grounded in ethical principles. Equality, freedom, knowledge, access to choices, are amongst them. Adults, should also follow specific etchical rules when are involved with younsters in disasters and crises.
If you are over 14 years old, you can read and understand better this article about ethics in disaster response. If you are smaller, ask to your parents or other family members and discuss them with your teachers or supervisors.

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.  

Poverty, injustice, and inequality always aggravate when disasters happen. These societies become increasingly vulnerable to natural hazards. Children, and, especially, children with disabilities, are the most vulnerable members of societies when facing disasters. Unfortunately, the social characteristics of human societies like age, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, and disability, are central to understanding the coping capacity during disasters, in children (including teenagers), too.

All children understand and experience the world differently to adults, but they can be highly resourceful at the same time. We should not label children as uniformly vulnerable, but instead, give them the space to identify their own capacities and agency.

Approximately, two-hundred million children worldwide experience various forms of disability. They have various physical, psychological, and educational issues in terms of disasters. Their traumatic loss for the separation from caregivers is heavier. That’s why they need medical, familial, social, and educational protective frameworks and vital social networks. The United Nations’ Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recognizes that children are disproportionately affected by disasters, and they should be given the opportunity to contribute to disaster risk reduction (DRR). But, omitting youngsters’ voices silences their own sense of identity and undermines their capacity for resilience. We should, also, not marginalize children and youth with disabilities.

The children are empowered to tell their own stories and to actively participate in community recovery processes, to prepare survival plans, and to be educated on disaster resilience. And all of us, we should not ever forget the vulnerable members of our communities, like elders, people with disabilities at any age, and pregnant women, people with low income, families with single parents, etc. Do not exclude anyone. Help and support anyone in danger with consideration to his /her needs, beliefs and problems.