Policies on Protecting Vulnerable People During Disasters in Iran: A Document Analysis

Abstract

ContextDeveloping official protection policies for disasters is a main strategy in protecting vulnerable people. The aim of this study was to analyze official documents concerning policies on protecting vulnerable people during disasters.Evidence AcquisitionThis study was conducted by the qualitative document analysis method. Documents were gathered by searching websites and referring to the organizations involved in disaster management. The documents were assessed by a researcher-made data collection form. A directed content analysis approach was used to analyze the retrieved documents regarding the protection policies and legislation for vulnerable people.ResultsA total of 22 documents were included in the final analysis. Most of the documents referred to women, children, elderly people, poor, and villagers as vulnerable people. Moreover, the documents did not provide information regarding official measures for protecting vulnerable people during different phases of disaster management.ConclusionsA clear and comprehensive definition of “vulnerable people” and formulation of official policies to protect them is needs to be formulated. Given the high prevalence of disasters in Iran, policy makers need to develop effective context-based policies to protect vulnerable people during disasters.

Safety Needs of People With Disabilities During Earthquakes

“…In other studies, the lack of compliance with safety principles for the vulnerable and disabled people in Iran and other countries have also been reported as harmful. 27 In India, despite the early development of seismic safety, a moderate earthquake can lead to thousands of deaths because of the lack of resistance in the structures. 28 For the same reason, the earthquake in Haiti, in 2010, injured 1 million people with disabilities and it also led to new disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries and amputations.…”

Natural disasters and challenges toward achieving food security response in Iran

“…referred to a wide range of people, including people with disabilities, the elderly, female breadwinner of households, orphans, the unemployed, the poor, and marginalized people, as vulnerable groups in disasters in Iran. [ 21 ] In another study, following Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi Clay et al . showed that low social support, poor physical health or mental health, and female sex were risk factors.…”

Disaster Health Literacy of Middle-aged Women

“…Therefore, the middle-aged women need to get education about the developmental crisis like menopause and situational crises such as emergencies and disasters. Since both being female and being old are known as vulnerabilities,2 the improvement of women's health in crises is a key issue and within the scope of World Health Organization's Health Action in Crises1 responsibilities. Inadequate preparation risks the ability of this group to independently obtain food, water, electricity3 or access standard medical care in the post-disaster phase, which can result in previously managed chronic health conditions and cause significant medical problems that require hospitalization or lead into death.…”