On the occasion of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (8 October 2008), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is launching the study: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Violence of Vulnerable Persons: Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic at UN-INSTRAW headquarters on 9 October 2008.
Tropical Strom Noel affected the Dominican Republic in October 2007, leaving around 79,728 displaced persons, hundreds of communities isolated and almost 20,000 damaged homes. According to estimates from ECLAC, this natural disaster event caused losses of more than US$439 million (1.2% of the country’s GNP), affecting more than 70% of the population in a direct or indirect manner.
The evaluation seeks to analyze the impact of natural disasters on vulnerable populations, such as boys, girls, adolescents, women, persons living with HIV/AIDS, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as analyze the provision of sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of violence against women.
The study is based on a series of interviews conducted with 64 key informants from security, local government, governmental agencies, provincial and regional health administrative offices, hospitals, rural clinics, integral attention units and NGOs among others. A second survey was carried out amongst 172 users of health services.
The evaluation was carried out in the provinces of Santo Domingo, Azua, Bahoruco and Barahona, which are the regions most affected by Tropical Storm Noel, in terms of the number of displaced persons and affected homes. These provinces show significant differences in terms of poverty levels. While the proportion of households in extreme poverty is 1.9% in Santo Domingo, it reaches 31.6% in Bahoruco and 21.6% in Azua and Barahona. The level of household poverty has a specific impact on its capacity to prepare and respond to a natural disaster, for example in the condition of the household dwelling, , the vulnerability of its occupants and the capacity for reconstruction.
During the interview it was pointed out that women of reproductive age face limitations in accessing pre-natal and post-natal care, as well as greater risk of vaginal infections, pregnancy complications including spontaneous abortion, unplanned pregnancy, and post-traumatic stress. An increase in violence against women was also recorded.
Boys, girls and adolescents faced cases of violence, health problems, damage to the educational infrastructure, and a loss of space in primary socialization. The elderly suffered material losses and means to produce income, deteriorated health, post-traumatic stress, as well as obstacles in receiving assistance to evacuate and occupy shelters. Lastly, persons living with HIV/AIDS faced obstacles in accessing anti-retroviral treatment (ARV).
Within the 17 focus groups, participants did not offer specific details on violence against women (VAW), although they indicated that they knew of some cases that occurred prior to, during and after the storm. In the periphery of Santo Domingo and Bahoruco, the fact that women were placed in homes and in shelters supervised by the community was identified as a protective factor in the face of violence. In Barahona and Azua, key informants reported the greatest number of VAW.
In the Dominican Republic, 24% of women between 15 and 49 years declared having experienced some form of physical violence (ENDESA 2002). The evaluation shows that in natural disaster situations and in post-disaster recuperation, the cases of violence may increase. “Given the stress that this situation caused and the life in the refuges, men attacked women more frequently. I visited several shelters with such a problem”, commented one of the informants of the evaluation.
All vulnerable groups that were interviewed suffered post-traumatic stress (mourning, sadness, and derpression) as a consequence of losing their home, furniture, work, income and other means of life. Natural disasters forced people to repeatedly “start from zero,” and caused psychological fatigue. “We went through a moment of crisis, because when there are children and pregnant women in the middle of a flood, it is very difficult psychologically-speaking”, stated another informant.
In the face of obstacles and the needs that have been identified, the evaluation proposes a series of concrete recommendations, amongst which are to: improve the sexual and reproductive health of women and adolescents in natural disaster situations and in post-disaster recovery; ensure access to contraceptive measures, particularly condoms for the prevention of transmission of HIV; provide post-natal care; medicine to combat infections and post-traumatic stress; provide an adequate response to cases of violence against women, girls and boys; include the provision of health and legal services; and improve the security situation of shelters to prevent cases of abuse of power by guards.
During the event, a welcome statement will be offered by Carolina Taborga (Acting Director of UN-INSTRAW) and Gilka Meléndez (UNFPA Representative in the Dominican Republic). The study will be presented by Nicola Popovic (Programme Officer in Gender, Peace and Security with UN-INSTRAW) and Wendy Alba (Independent Consultant in charge of the evaluation), and Nerys Vanderhorst (National Emergency Commission).
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