The Impact of the Tigray War on Persons with Disabilities and the Failure of Humanitarian Responses
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Abstract
This study examines the profound impact of the 2020-2022 war in Tigray on persons with disabilities with a focus on the failure of international humanitarian responses. Before the eruption of the war, approximately 169,000 persons with disabilities in Tigray received government support, but the war disrupted vital services, increasing vulnerability to violence, displacement, and exclusion. The study focuses on the psychological, economic, and social consequences of the war for persons with disabilities, alongside the insufficient intervention by local and international organizations. Using qualitative data from secondary sources, interviews (12) individual with disability and focus group discussions (2 group with total of 14 participant), key informant 9 total of 25 participant through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The research identifies barriers such as institutional neglect, lack of disability-inclusive aid, and compounded vulnerabilities from intersecting factors like gender and age. The study suggests for policy reforms to improve humanitarian responses to persons with disabilities who have been affected by the war in order to ensure that t their rights and needs are addressed in future interventions.
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References
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