On the occasion of the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week, CBM Global is releasing a new brief report entitled “Engaging with organisations of persons with disabilities in humanitarian response: Reflection from CBM Global’s Covid-19 response in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal” which showcases our experience and learning from engaging and working with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in the early response to the COVID 19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia in 2020-2021.

This brief is a contribution to the sector learnings and reflections on what approaches can be adopted to ensure meaningful participation of OPDs at different stages of the humanitarian response, and how while doing so, OPDs can become more equipped, confident, and empowered to play their roles. It also provides examples of how humanitarian actors, by working and engaging with OPDs, are identifying gaps and needs to strengthen the inclusion of persons with disabilities across its policies, processes, and programme cycle management. Engaging with OPDs is important to improve the effectiveness and accountability of humanitarian action.

Nasima Akter, President of the National Council of Disabled Women, Bangladesh says:

“This was a new experience, creating great value for us. By piloting and adapting CBM Global’s guidance on inclusive targeting we now have also realised that focusing only on disability inclusion is not enough and that there are other at-risk groups in the communities we need to work with closely to ensure that we’re truly inclusive and leave no one behind.” 

Download the report: Engaging with organisations of persons with disabilities in humanitarian response | CBM Global (cbm-global.org)