A/78/167 time, they may be separated from assistive devices or their usual support networks (e.g. family members) because of the disaster situation. 28 32. Structures in use as temporary shelters or facilities may not provide sufficient protection from sun exposure for persons with albinism. In addition, after e xtreme weather events, widespread destruction means that significant trip hazards remain in the immediate physical environment. This is a danger for many persons with albinism because of their visual impairment. Consequently, these individuals may be restr icted in their daily lives and livelihood opportunities in the aftermath of disaster events. 33. In common with other persons with disabilities, persons with albinism are likely to be forgotten or excluded in disaster planning, management and response at the community and national levels, thereby increasing the risk that they will experience adverse health outcomes during extreme weather events. 29 Stigma and discrimination, as well as a lack of awareness of the needs of persons with albinism in disaster situations, are drivers of exclusion. 34. Disasters cause disruptions to food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, and infrastructure, shelter and basic services, including health care. Disasters and their impacts (e.g. loss of the family home, forced migration) also lead to significant mental health consequences. 30 These disruptions are devastating for all, but persons with albinism are among the least resilient to these shocks. For instance, where disasters disrupt access to health care, persons with albinism are unable to access sunscreen, protective wear and visual aids, not to mention any medicines or treatment they may need. At the same time, lack of shelter and infrastructure and disruption to transport networks mean that persons with albinism may spend significantly more time exposed to the sun, thus increasing their risk of skin cancer. The disruption to services caused by disasters may persist for months or even years, contributing to significant long term health inequalities. 35. Persons with albinism who have been forcibly displaced from their original communities by extreme weather events are at elevated risk of health impacts affecting all displaced persons, such as lack of access to services, 31 and health impacts specific to persons with albinism, such as extreme sun exposure. The Expert received reports that care packs given to persons with albinism affected by Cyclone Freddy did not include sun protection products. The Expert also received information that, in Mozambique, 32 an organization working on issues concerning persons with albinism visited resettlement centres for the victims of Cyclones Eloise and Idai. It identified cases in which children and adolescents with albinism were being housed in humanitarian tents that were not appropriate for their condition owing to the heat accumulating inside, causing discomfort and skin damage. 36. The health of children with albinism, as well as the health of children in the wider population, is threatened by malnutrition owing to food scarcity prec ipitated by disaster events. Evidence suggests that, when vulnerable families struggle to maintain nutritious diets following climate shocks, there are far-reaching impacts on child __________________ 28 29 30 31 32 10/23 World Health Organization (WHO), Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities (Geneva: 2022). See comments of the Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Sarah Johnson, “Disabled people are ‘lost and excluded’ when disasters hit, says UN advocate”, The Guardian, 28 March 2023. Available at www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/ mar/28/disabled-people-are-lost-and-excluded-when-disasters-hit-says-un-advocate. Sy A. Saeed and Steven P. Gargano, “Natural disasters and mental health”, International Review of Psychiatry, vol. 34, No. 1 (2022), pp. 16–25. Patricia Schwerdtle, Kathryn Bowen and Celia McMichael, “The health impacts of climate related migration”, BMC Medicine, vol. 16, No. 1 (2018), pp. 1–7. Submission from Associação Defendendo Os Nossos Direitos, Mozambique. 23-13701