Equal Human Rights; Different Ways to Protect Them

Visualizing how different people are affected differently in humanitarian crises

The following are pictures of people in places where UUSC works to protect and promote human rights in times of crises. All of these people are vulnerable in different ways because of who they are. Test your understanding of how and why this is so.

Question 1

In Darfur, all civilians are endangered by the violence and genocide. However, men and women face different risks. The people pictured below live in camps for the internally displaced. Who is more likely to face attack outside of the camps, the men or the women?

If you answered women, you are correct. If men leave the camps, they risk being killed by armed militia. Therefore, it is the women and girls who are more likely to leave the camps in search of water, firewood, and work. Outside of the camps, women and girls are at risk of being attacked and raped by armed militia - the same people who are burning villages and forcing civilians to flee their homes. Find out more about UUSC's work in Darfur: www.uusc.org/darfur

Question 2

Hurricane Katrina forced 1.5 million people from their homes and destroyed close to 300,000 houses on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The people pictured below live in the Lakeview (L) and Lower Ninth Ward (R) neighborhoods in New Orleans, areas that were almost completely destroyed. Overall, who has faced greater challenges in returning and rebuilding after the storm, the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, which is 85 percent African-American, or the residents of mostly white Lakeview?

If you answered the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, you are correct. People of color and low-income communities have found it particularly hard to return and rebuild because of a lack of resources, scarce and expensive housing, under-funded health services and public schools, and confusing government aid programs. To learn more about UUSC's response to Hurricane Katrina, visit: www.uusc.org/katrina

Question 3

People's livelihoods are often destroyed by natural disasters and war, and regaining livelihoods is and essential step in recovery. The women pictured below are survivors of the 2004 tsunami (L) and Cyclone Nargis (R), which hit the Myanmar delta in May 2008. Both women were overlooked by traditional aid agencies in the aftermath of the disasters that destroyed their livelihoods. Why?

You are correct if you answered that these women were overlooked precisely because they are women! Helping women earn an income usually takes a back seat to supporting men's livelihoods. However, women often bring in as much income to a family as men-and sometimes more. So when women are widows, helping them make a living is essential to their survival and the survival of their children. Learn more about our work in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis: www.uusc.org/myanmar.

Also read our blog about UUSC's support of women and income generation in Sri Lanka: True Tales from Sri Lanka, Part 2

Question 4

Cultural practices are important for all communities. During humanitarian crises, culture and religion can help survivors stay strong. Aid agencies need to understand local culture in order to appropriately provide relief and help people recover. The Sri Lankan women pictured below lost their husbands in the 2004 tsunami. All the widows in their Muslim community of Kinniya were left out of the mainstream aid response. Why?

When they were made widows by the tsunami, these Muslim widows mourned their loss the traditional way and did not go out in public for over four months. The widows were unable to collect the relief supplies that were provided to other survivors during that initial period. The few agencies, like UUSC, that understood how to indentify gaps in the relief effort, were able to support the recovery of Muslim widows in Sri Lanka. Learn more about UUSC's tsunami response: www.uusc.org/tsunami