Malteser International, a German non-Governmental organisation, held a seminar in central Da Nang city on October 31 to introduce how to include people with disabilities into community-based disaster management.

Participants were introduced to Malteser International’s materials, which focus on the problems of disabled people in disaster risk management, and recommendations to help them participate more effectively in this field.

The materials also bring out specific instructions on the inclusion of the group in disaster management as well as ways to evacuate them if a natural disaster occurs.

Disabled people are one of the most vulnerable groups during disasters. However, the organisation’s recent survey of 730 Vietnamese people with disabilities showed that 74 percent of them don’t know the disaster risk management plan, 69 percent don’t take part in the process of deciding and establishing the plan, and 76 percent face difficulties when evacuating.

Vietnam is prone to natural disasters, with losses each year accounting for 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP.

In 2008, it approved a project on enhancing the community’s awareness and community-based disaster risk management, with the goal to help 6,000 disaster-affected communes nationwide receive support to deal with disasters.-VNA