The following resources discuss public policy issues related to natural disasters, safety and violence.

After Katrina Policy Series, 2006
The Urban Institute
The Urban Institute in Washington D.C. issued a series of reports about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They are downloadable as follows:

•Young Children After Katrina: A Proposal to Heal the Damage and Create Opportunity in New Orleans. [1]
http://www.urban.org/publications/900920.html [1]
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900920_young_children.pdf [2]

• Resiliency Is Not Enough: Young Children and the Rebuilding of New Orleans. [3]
www.urban.org/publications/900900.html [3]

•Building a Better Safety Net for the New Orleans [4].
http://www.urban.org/publications/900922.html [4]
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900922_safety_net.pdf [5]

•Open and Operating? An Assessment of Louisiana Nonprofit Health and Human Services After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [6]
http://www.urban.org/publications/900916.html [6]
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900916_open_and_operating.pdf [7]

Disasters and Domestic Violence [8]
by Fran Norris
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, The National Center for PTSD
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_domestic.html [8]
This fact sheet prepared by Dr. Fran Norris for the National Center for PTSD discusses the implications of domestic violence for post-disaster recovery. Many of its point are relevant to the discussion of sexual violence in a post-disaster environment.

For the Women of Katrina and Other Disasters:Protection from Violence Against Women and Children [9]
The Women’s Justice Center
http://www.nhchc.org/ShelterHealth/ToolKitC/C14FortheWomenof928F9.pdf [9]
The Women’s Justice Center in Santa Rosa, CA issued this self-help guide to survivors of Hurricane Katrina about how to cope and protect themselves from sexual assault in the wake of a disaster.

Gender and Health in Natural Disasters [10], July, 2002
World Health Organization, Department of Gender and Women’s Health
http://www.who.int/gender/other_health/en/genderdisasters.pdf [10]
This paper analyzes the pattern of gender differentiation at all levels of the disaster process: exposure to risk, risk perception, preparedness, response, physical impact, psychological impact, recovery and reconstruction.

Interpersonal Violence and Disasters, [11] 2005
World Health Organization, Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/violence_disasters.pdf [11]
The World Health Organization released this fact sheet on how natural disasters exacerbate interpersonal violence, specifically child abuse, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and exploitation (i.e., trafficking). The fact sheet provides guidelines for health workers and other service providers.

Katrina’s Children: A Call to Conscience and Action [12], 2006
Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/katrinas-children-a-call-to-conscience-action.html [12]
Produced by the Children’s Defense Fund, this report examines the specific emergency mental health, health and education needs of children who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Preventing Violence After a Natural Disaster [13], August 2, 2006
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/violence.asp [13]
Produced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this three-page fact sheet offers tips on preventing various forms of interpersonal violence after disasters.

Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Violence in Disaster and Emergency Situations: A guide for local & community based organisations [14], 2006 

ECPAT International

English http://www.ecpatusa.org/EcpatUSA_PDF/Protecting%20Children%20from%20CSEC%20in%20Disaster_ENG.pdf [14]

Spanish http://www.ecpatusa.org/EcpatUSA_PDF/Protecting%20Children%20from%20CSEC%20in%20Disaster_SPA.pdf [15]

French Coming Soon!