There are numerous definitions given to the term homeless and it has been recognised as one of the leading social problems following a disaster. Piliavin et al. (1993) described the term homeless as people who are currently living on the streets, have no fixed residence, living in shelters for the past 24hours, and those who have been staying with friends and family since leaving a permanent residence. When a disaster and conflict strikes, one of the initial issues brought forward on the headline news is generally figures quoting homelessness. Among the different vulnerable groups in a disaster, homelessness includes both rich households temporarily deserting their homes for fear of after-effects, destitute households who have lost everything,
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For example, on January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0 about 10 miles southwest of Port au Prince causing over two million people becoming homeless within a very short period of time. As a consequence, the millions of homeless victims became vulnerable to a host of dangerous circumstances. According to Every and Thompson (2014), there is currently little detailed research on the vulnerabilities of homeless people in disaster and emergency situations. However, using existing theories on social vulnerabilities in general and research on homelessness and people living below the poverty line, some risk factors can be identified. Wisner (1998) identified risk factors such as: (a) Lack of funds, (b) Lack of access to services, (c) Limited social inclusion, (d) Preexisting physical, mental and emotional stressors. These four risks factors covers the social, economic and personal nature affecting the preparation, response and recovery of vulnerable groups (Every & Thompson, 2014). People living in poverty are unlikely to be equipped, informed, found and evacuated or provided any support in the instance of disaster and may find themselves stranded without acceptable shelter and restricted social and economic prospects (Wisner, …show more content…
Buckle, Mars and Smale (2000) argue that resilience is based in social and economic attachments and that programs that increase disaster resilience should incorporate these inclusions. Homeless people have a need to demonstrate resilience on a day to day basis, especially when living in crowded spaces, exposed to substance abuse, mentally ill people, and violence and difficulties accessing medical care for chronic conditions. Donaldson et al. (2006), explored the experiences of homeless people during the 2002 Washington sniper shootings, where the homeless reported feeling frightened for their safety, having to implement changes to their lifestyle behaviors, and coping strategies. It is important to recognize the strength of this population which is made up of people with a broad experience in managing uncertainty and stressful situations, an ability that can prove effective in a disaster situation. In Indonesia, human made disaster is an issue, whereby between 440,000 and 1.3 million people have been forced to move within Indonesia due to the separatist and ethnic conflicts in Timor, Aceh, Papua, Maluku, Central Kalimantan and central Sulawesi (Rahardjo, 2002). The local authorities are finding their resources pushed to the limit trying to look after the refugees, where little help has come from the
For example, on January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0 about 10 miles southwest of Port au Prince causing over two million people becoming homeless within a very short period of time. As a consequence, the millions of homeless victims became vulnerable to a host of dangerous circumstances. According to Every and Thompson (2014), there is currently little detailed research on the vulnerabilities of homeless people in disaster and emergency situations. However, using existing theories on social vulnerabilities in general and research on homelessness and people living below the poverty line, some risk factors can be identified. Wisner (1998) identified risk factors such as: (a) Lack of funds, (b) Lack of access to services, (c) Limited social inclusion, (d) Preexisting physical, mental and emotional stressors. These four risks factors covers the social, economic and personal nature affecting the preparation, response and recovery of vulnerable groups (Every & Thompson, 2014). People living in poverty are unlikely to be equipped, informed, found and evacuated or provided any support in the instance of disaster and may find themselves stranded without acceptable shelter and restricted social and economic prospects (Wisner, …show more content…
Buckle, Mars and Smale (2000) argue that resilience is based in social and economic attachments and that programs that increase disaster resilience should incorporate these inclusions. Homeless people have a need to demonstrate resilience on a day to day basis, especially when living in crowded spaces, exposed to substance abuse, mentally ill people, and violence and difficulties accessing medical care for chronic conditions. Donaldson et al. (2006), explored the experiences of homeless people during the 2002 Washington sniper shootings, where the homeless reported feeling frightened for their safety, having to implement changes to their lifestyle behaviors, and coping strategies. It is important to recognize the strength of this population which is made up of people with a broad experience in managing uncertainty and stressful situations, an ability that can prove effective in a disaster situation. In Indonesia, human made disaster is an issue, whereby between 440,000 and 1.3 million people have been forced to move within Indonesia due to the separatist and ethnic conflicts in Timor, Aceh, Papua, Maluku, Central Kalimantan and central Sulawesi (Rahardjo, 2002). The local authorities are finding their resources pushed to the limit trying to look after the refugees, where little help has come from the