Abstract
An estimated one billion people live with some form of disability globally. Yet, persons with disabilities continuously face discrimination, inequality and neglect as a result of barriers based on unawareness, ignorance and exclusion. This thesis explores the importance of specific focus on inclusion of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, with particular reference to Médecins Sans Frontières’ incentive to ensure this. The following discussion explore different approaches to humanitarian organizational change and the philosophy of MSF, as well as the essentiality of inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian with regard to the right to health. In addition, the focus will be on the responsibility of humanitarian actors to provide inclusive work and measures to ensure equal inclusion, with particular focus on the global Covid-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this thesis argues that persons with disabilities require both increased and specified awareness and measures in order to prevent exclusion of people in an already vulnerable state, specifically in line with the CRPD and UDHR, and especially in contexts of humanitarian action. In other words, while medical humanitarian needs remain immense, humanitarian actors must consciously and continuously work to confront and overcome the identified barriers that persons with disabilities face in order to work under humanitarian conditions of equality, impartiality and neutrality.