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Media advisory - Press briefing ahead of the video conference of the members of the European Council

The Council adopted conclusions reiterating its unwavering commitment to protecting EU citizens against terrorism and violent extremism.

Press briefing ahead of the Eastern Partnership leaders' video conference

A Fideszt is meglepte, hogy csak júniusban derült ki: a bölcsek tanácsa befejezte a munkáját. Az elmúlt hetekben egymásnak ellentmondott Wolfgang Schüssel és Herman van Rompuy.

Kína felemelkedése katonai kihívást is jelent, amellyel az eddiginél többet kell foglalkoznia a NATO-nak – mondta az észak-atlanti szövetség szervezetének főtitkára a Welt am Sonntag című vasárnapi német lapnak.

Jens Stoltenberg hangsúlyozta, hogy Kína megerősödése “alapvetően megváltoztatja a globális hatalmi egyensúlyt”, ami ugyan jelent lehetőségeket, főleg gazdaságilag, de kihívásokat is, méghozzá elsősorban katonai, hadászati téren.

A Welt am Sonntag idézte az amerikai védelmi minisztérium adatait, amelyek szerint a világ második legnagyobb katonai költségvetésével gazdálkodó kínai haderők több mint 2000 rövid, közepes és nagy hatótávolságú rakétafegyverrel rendelkeznek. Kína nagyon sok pénzt fordít nukleáris fegyverekre és nagy hatótávolságú rakétákra, amelyek akár Európát is elérhetik – mondta ezzel kapcsolatban Stoltenberg, kiemelve, hogy a NATO-tagországoknak közösen szembe kell nézniük ezzel a kihívással.

A Welt am Sonntag összeállítása szerint a kínai arzenálban különösen figyelemre méltó a DF-21D típusú nagy hatótávolságú rakéta, amellyel tengeri célpontokra lehet csapást mérni. Kifejtették, hogy Peking ki akarja szorítani az Egyesült Államokat a csendes-óceáni térségből, hogy átvegye az ellenőrzést a kereskedelmi útvonalak felett. Ennek közvetlen hatásai lennének az európai gazdaságra, amely kiszolgáltatottá és akár zsarolhatóvá is válhatna.

A NATO érzékeli a veszélyt. “Kína egyre közelebb jut Európa kapujához” – fogalmazott a NATO főtitkára, hozzátéve, hogy Peking megjelent a sarkköri térségben, Afrikában és a Földközi-tengeren, “erőteljes beruházási tevékenységet folytat az európai kritikus infrastruktúra területén”, a digitális, online térben pedig a leginkább befolyásos tényezők közé tartozik.

Stoltenberg hangsúlyozta, hogy Peking ugyan egyetlen tagországra sem jelent “közvetlen fenyegetést”, a Dél-kínai-tenger térségében viszont egyre erőteljesebben igyekszik korlátozni a közlekedés szabadságát a nemzetközi vizeken, ami igen nyugtalanító. Ugyanakkor egyértelmű, hogy “a Dél-kínai-tenger nem bevetési terület a NATO számára”, a szövetségnek nincs oka arra, hogy csapatokat küldjön a térségbe – mondta Jens Stoltenberg.

Un manifestant a été tué par des tirs « d’origine inconnue », dans le sud de l’Algérie, plus précisément à Tinzaouatine, une localité située à la frontière de ce pays d’Afrique du Nord et le Mali. Il s’agirait d’une manifestation, une protestation notamment contre de nouvelles dispositions prises par les autorités algériennes, qui a finalement […]

L’article Des émeutes font un mort dans le sud de l’Algérie est apparu en premier sur Afrik.com.

L’Algérie a une politique extrêmement stricte envers la cryptomonnaie. En fait, depuis la loi de finances de 2018, le gouvernement algérien interdit « l’achat, la vente, l’utilisation et la détention » de cryptomonnaies. Toutefois, la crise de la COVID19 est passée par là. De plus, il est devenu nécessaire de diversifier l’économie du pays afin […]

L’article La stimulation de l’économie algérienne : Quelles sont les réformes actuellement envisagées ? est apparu en premier sur .

Le roi du Maroc, Mohammed VI, et le chef de l’Etat turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ont trouvé un accord dans le but de soulager les ressortissants marocains en Turquie. De quoi s’agit-il au juste ? Les choses s’accélèrent au royaume du Maroc. Après Melilla, Ceuta, l’Algérie, l’Espagne et les Îles Canaries, le royaume compte établir […]

L’article Maroc, Turquie : cet accord entre Mohammed VI et Recep Tayyip Erdogan au grand bonheur des Marocains est apparu en premier sur Afrik.com.

Bei einem Verkehrsunfall in Kloten sind am Dienstagabend eine Mutter und ihr Kind beim Überqueren eines Fussgängerstreifens von einem Personenwagen angefahren und schwer verletzt worden.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is accused of reneging on promises he made after ousting Robert Mugabe.

Italiens Regierungschef Giuseppe Conte will die Mittel aus dem EU-Wiederaufbaufonds nutzen, um langjährige Probleme seines Landes zu lösen.

Le porte-parole du comité scientifique de suivi de l’évolution de la pandémie du Coronavirus, Djamel Fourar, a indiqué, hier, que 116 nouvelles contaminations au Covid-19 et 11décès ont été enregistrés lors des dernières 24 heures. Au total le nombre de cas confirmés s’élève à 11147, celui des décès à 788 , alors que le total […]

L’article Coronavirus Algérie : Les principaux événements de la journée du 16 juin 2020 est apparu en premier sur .

Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) hat die ermutigenden Ergebnisse einer britischen Studie zur Behandlung von Covid-19-Patienten mit dem Wirkstoff Dexamethason begrüsst.

« Le risque de décès du Covid-19 pour un patient atteint de LLC (Leucémie Lymphoïde Chronique) est multiplié par dix » Le Coordinateur national du Groupe LLC a animé cette semaine une visio-conférence de presse en compagnie des Prs BEKADJA et GRIFI ses homologues respectivement à Oran et Annaba. L’immunodéficience des malades les rend particulièrement […]

L’article Coronavirus : « Le risque de décès pour un patient atteint de LLC multiplié par dix » (Pr AIT ALI) est apparu en premier sur .

Mehr Sein statt Schein: BMWs Powerlimousine M5 hat Posing nicht nötig. Ab Juli kommt sie mit neuem, bis zu 625 PS starkem V8-Turbo und schärferer Dämpfer-Abstimmung.

Im Schweizer Eishockey braut sich etwas zusammen. Die Klubs machen sich an ihrer Liga zu schaffen, obwohl diese ein Erfolgsprodukt ist. Ein Kommentar.

Der US-Komiker und Talkshow-Moderator Jimmy Kimmel (52) wird erneut als Emmy-Gastgeber auf der Bühne stehen. Dies gab die Fernsehakademie am Dienstag (Ortszeit) bekannt.

He was overseeing a case involving Vital Kamerhe, chief of staff to the DR Congo's president.

Kurz vor der geplanten Veröffentlichung will das US-Justizministerium die Publikation eines Buches des früheren Nationalen Sicherheitsberaters John Bolton vor Gericht verhindern.

Containment measures, such as physical distancing and self-isolation, may be impossible for those who rely on the support of others to eat, dress, and bathe. Credit: Bigstock

By Srilakshmi Bellamkonda
HYDERABAD, India, Jun 16 2020 (IPS)

Since the beginning of the year, more than 200 nations across the globe have been affected by COVID-19. Many are still reeling under the devastating effects of the pandemic, with both public health and the global economy having taken a major blow.

Emerging markets seem to be especially vulnerable, given that their healthcare facilities tend to be ill-equipped to tackle a pandemic of this nature and scale. Worse, and even more worrying, is the fact that the end to this global crisis is still nowhere in sight, and we have not been able to assess the damage to lives and livelihoods.

Much of the advocacy on how to stay safe during the pandemic has not factored in the inability of people who are immobile or living with mental illnesses to follow these instructions. Containment measures, such as physical distancing and self-isolation, may be impossible for those who rely on the support of others to eat, dress, and bathe.


Despite governments having taken drastic steps, including offering varying degrees of support to their citizens, there remain certain sections of society that have been inadvertently excluded. Persons with disabilities (PwDs)—more than one billion in number globally—are one such group.

This is because much of the advocacy on how to stay safe during the pandemic has not factored in the inability of people who are immobile or living with mental illnesses to follow these instructions. “Containment measures, such as physical distancing and self-isolation, may be impossible for those who rely on the support of others to eat, dress, and bathe.” 1 The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a document highlighting this issue, and explaining how Persons with Disabilities may be at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Some of these include:

• Accessibility issues may limit how often PwDs are able to wash their hands
• PwDs who require additional support may find it difficult to practice physical distancing, and many caregivers may be reluctant to provide their services due to the contagious nature of the novel coronavirus
• People with intellectual impairments cannot be expected to cope with self-isolation
• People with visual disabilities rely on “touch functions for mobility and work”, thereby increasing their risk of infection
• Public health information remains inaccessible, which acts as a barrier, particularly for people with hearing impairments
• PwDs may be at greater risk, as people with underlying health conditions, particularly those related to respiratory function, immune system function, heart disease, or diabetes, are more likely to be infected with COVID-19

 

 

In India, the government needs to be more proactive

The situation is no different in India, where 2.21 percent of the population, or 26.8 million people are officially recognised as Persons with Disabilities. Here, some of the challenges highlighted above may be intensified, due to ignorance and poverty, or the lack of a conducive environment and amenities.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) recognises that People with Disabilities are more vulnerable to the virus because of their physical, sensory, and cognitive limitations. These limitations come in the way of their capacity to access, interpret, and use the information and services being made available to deal with COVID-19, and can lead to further marginalisation. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has also mandated that under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, departments in the states and union territories should disseminate information on COVID-19 in audio formats and Braille, while also ensuring that the government websites are accessible.

While these guidelines are welcome, their actual implementation requires long-term preparedness and mass awareness, backed by a multi-pronged approach. A recent study indicates that little progress has been made in implementing these guidelines, leaving people who are differently abled to rely on second hand information, which at times could be diluted and/or misinterpreted and misleading. Lack of captions and sign language communication in media coverage further excludes people with hearing impairments. Moreover, those with inaccessibility or people with hearing dysfunction, who depend on lip reading, are unable to communicate with doctors and health workers in this time of crisis.

Another challenge is accessing ration supplies and cooked food distributed by the authorities or organisations, since the mobility to the place of distribution is tedious, and additional infrastructural support at the distribution point is often limited. This lacklustre response is indicative of how we, as a society, have a long way to go in being sensitive to the needs of People with Disabilities. In Australia, to cite one example, a separate, exclusive shopping time slot is allocated for PwDs at grocery stores to ensure they have access in line with their needs. Another major blow for PwDs by the pandemic is to their livelihood and income generation. Two out of three PwDs in India today are unemployed, and a majority of the rest work in the unorganised sector as migrant or contractual labour—the group that has been most severely impacted by job losses due to the lockdown. Loss of income is among the main reasons why PwDs are being driven to the brink of poverty and exclusion.

 

What needs to change?

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Arman Ali, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) demanded uniformity of pensions, increase in ex-gratia payments, announcement of an adequate economic package, information in accessible formats, and the enforcement of comprehensive, strict guidelines for the protection and safety of PwDs.

The state disability commissioners are nodal authorities assigned to coordinate with other relevant bodies. But since these positions are ad hoc in nature with no independence to plan and execute, there is little or no motivation to do what is necessary. This apathy points to the urgent need to establish an exclusive centralised statutory body, similar what other vulnerable sections have in place, such as the National Commission for Minorities and the National Commission for Women.

The urgency to address this cannot be overemphasised. We are already late in addressing the trauma and the inconvenience experienced by PwDs, and this needs to be alleviated with concerted and quick action. Some of these steps include:

• The Aarogya Setu app should include dedicated sections with specific information for PwDs and the information should be available in sign language
• Door-step delivery of food or rations should be ensured for free or at affordable rates
• Direct cash assistance can be provided, along with special provisions under the public distribution system (PDS) for PwDs
• Conversion of public materials into the ‘easy read’ format so that they are accessible to people living with intellectual disabilities or cognitive impairment
• Providing financial compensation for families and caregivers who need to be self-isolated and are prone to infection
• Setting up exclusive helplines in multiple formats (for example, telephone and e-mail) for PwDs to communicate with the government, ask questions, and raise concerns
• Considering caregivers as essential workers, providing them with curfew passes, and exempting them from other lockdown measures that may affect the continued provision of support services
• Ensuring adequate provision of facilities at quarantine centres and provision of transportation to and from the centres

While these are times when everyone needs to take good care of themselves and interact with others with caution, this is also the time for society to be aware of the needs of PwDs, and to ensure we do not forget those in need of assistance, support, and understanding.

Given the lockdown and the loss of livelihoods, the onus rests on the legislative and administrative agencies to address these gaps and to ensure the inclusion of People with Disabilities, both in letter and spirit.

 

Srilakshmi Bellamkonda heads the skill development initiative for people with disabilities (PwDs) at Dr Reddy’s Foundation

This story was originally published by India Development Review (IDR)

The post COVID-19 has Further Marginalised Persons with Disabilities appeared first on Inter Press Service.