News

Lack of trauma counseling post-disasters a concern

May 6, 2019 6:58 am

Web

The lack of trauma counselors to deal with persons living with disabilities is a concern.

While presenting during the Pacific Resilience Meeting, Disabled People’s Federation representative Lanieta Tuimabu says this is one of the many challenges faced by people with disability during natural disasters.

Tuimabu says Tropical Cyclone Winston was an example as the support to get people with disabilities back on track was slow.

Article continues after advertisement

“Providing the need of psycho-social support, a lot of persons with disabilities were traumatized, when you look at those that were facing psychosocial disability and that intellectual disability, the coping mechanism was really slow.”

Tuimabu says they currently do not have data of persons with disability to help locate them and provide them with their needs such as food, assisting devices, wheelchairs, and medical consumables to name a few.

She says with the increasing causes of climate change, they will continue to seek support from relevant stakeholders in ensuring their resilience during natural disasters.