Intersecting Vulnerabilities: Conflict Amplifies Disability Exclusion

 “Mama, it’s over. Leave me here, and you run away.” Cried a girl of 14 with cerebral palsy. She had lost her assistive device in a military attack in north Gaza. Her parents were helping her flee from the conflict area. Such chilling accounts of attack and separations have been reported from Gaza. However, this is not just a story of Gaza. Conflicts all around affect communities unequally. Often, persons with disabilities (PwD) are more affected in conflict areas as accessible infrastructure and aid are unavailable.

The “United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" (UNCRPD) is a revolutionary multilateral human rights treaty, focusing on making the world more accessible. Yet, the dialogue on accessibility stays missing during conflicts. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the UNCRPD in December 2006. With 50 articles, the UNCRPD aims to recognize international standards for the entitled human rights of PwD. It addresses conflict situations, as outlined in Article 11, which requires parties to guarantee the protection and safety of PwD in situations of risk, including armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. It is imperative to ask the question of how prepared the world is to support disabilities in crises and examine any measures that have been undertaken to address this gap. Many countries are signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", including India.

While many countries have expressed humanitarian aid and support. There is no or limited mention of assistive aid. Over the years, the Leahy war victim’s funds have helped many conflict-ridden countries with a special focus on providing rehabilitation, mobility aids, and prosthetic devices. This has been very helpful in empowering PwD in countries like Vietnam. In the past, the US has provided treatment for child amputees in the Gaza war. However, with the suspension of USAID, the continuity of this fund also hangs by a thread. Poland has also worked towards advocating for PwD affected in the Ukraine war. In 2024, the Warsaw Declaration was changed to highlight that  the rights and needs of PwDs must be upheld by policymakers and donors. Poland also initiated the UN Security Council resolution (2019) on protection of PwD in armed conflicts, thereby tuning it in with the UNCRPD. Apart from countries, many international organizations such as UNICEF, Red Cross have also aided.

Despite the efforts made by countries and international organizations, the aid has not been able to reach the target population. We still hear gut-wrenching stories coming from worn-torn regions in the world. The United Nations Committee for PwD noted that in Gaza there is a  disproportionate impact on PwD,as access to medical support and essential goods has been cut off, and access to humanitarian assistance is non-existent. While there is limited data and reportage on the difficulties that PwD’s face in conflict Zones. This statement in itself proves the failure of policies in place to support humanity.

According to the Global Peace Index,2025; over 122 million people are now uprooted. In 17 countries around five per cent or more of the population are either refugees or have been internally displaced.  Research in Cameroon focused on how PwDs lost not only their livelihoods but also accessible homes. When they were looted by the security forces. In such cases, fleeing from home becomes a task as accessible infrastructure is the first to get hampered, making PwD more vulnerable. In North East Nigeria’s Borno state, we see the collapse of the government policies to protect the marginalized. Interestingly, the citizens-led strategies have helped the PwD’s and elderly to survive. This is a result of government strategies being exclusive and only accessible to a select few. 

Conflicts, more than physically threatening citizens, scar them mentally. UNCRPD does include a degree of mental health as a disability.  Afghanistan is a place that has been riddled with violence for over 40 years. Many people suffer from mental health issues such as PTSD. Regardless of this, international donors have focused their attention more on physical health. While it is important to rebuild health infrastructure, it is equally important to fund programs for mental health aid. As it helps with the stability-building of a society. Frequent displacement, exposure to conflict, and lack of education also make situations worse for children.  

Accessing basic amenities during unrest is difficult for everybody, but the situation worsens for people with disabilities for whom many areas are inaccessible. There is very little information available on the condition and the lives that people with disabilities live in such tumultuous areas. A lot of times, the refugee camps also lack accessibility for basic needs, making PwD’s all the more dependent on others for their survival. It is imperative for the governments and organizations around the world to conduct more research for PwD’s and their difficulties during conflict. The focus should be on the grassroot level to equip communities and societies to be first responders in crisis situations. Countries with better accessible infrastructure should share and help build sustainable infrastructure in conflict and disaster-prone countries. From the currently available information, it becomes difficult to understand the true hardships faced by many PwD’s. It is necessary to Involve PwD in preparing response plans, in order for them to be effective. There is little to no information available about the troubles people with invisible disabilities such as autism, ADHD face in conflicts. Making it imperative to beg the question: how prepared the world is to support disabilities in crises.

Global cooperation is an important step towards creating an inclusive and sustainable world. Through effective foreign policy, we can focus on building a safer world for all. PwD’s in conflict areas are often doubly marginalized. They don’t just belong to the displaced communities but also try to survive in a world that isn’t built for them. It is important that the world works together in upholding the UNCRPD.