A/HRC/27/57 specific conditions of each context, humanitarian actions sometimes result in practices that may infringe or violate the human rights of the affected people. For that reason, emergency preparedness and humanitarian aid must take a human rights-based approach. 51. All people can be at risk and can be affected by the negative impact of disasters and conflicts, but their vulnerability depends on their social, economic, political, cultural and ethnic positions in society. Humanitarian action should therefore focus on women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. Affected populations are rights-holders and not mere beneficiaries of charitable action. 52. Discrimination on the basis of gender increases the vulnerability of women and girls in emergency, post-disaster and post-conflict situations. Protection activities established by national and international stakeholders should adopt a holistic approach to address gender discrimination from an institutional perspective in order to avoid limiting interventions to specific activities that will only respond partially to the problem. Women and girls must be one of the highest priority groups for humanitarian aid, relief and recovery. Special protection has to be considered during the process of planning the response to disasters and consequent humanitarian aid. Women’s participation in decision-making concerning humanitarian aid must also be promoted and guaranteed. Mechanisms to prevent genderbased violence, sexual harassment and rape have to be put in place. In conflict situations such as internal armed conflicts and wars, the humanitarian aid and reconciliation processes need to take into account traditional practices of women being considered spoils of war. In addition, indigenous women and women from minority communities require special protection against gender-based discrimination and racist attitudes. Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security sets out the international framework in that regard.35 53. UNICEF recognizes that when an emergency strikes, be it a sudden onset natural disaster or an armed conflict, children require special protection to ensure their safety and well-being.36 The Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action constitute the central policy of UNICEF on upholding the rights of children affected by humanitarian crises. Girls and boys are right-holders and also need to be involved in the humanitarian assistance process. 54. The elderly are another of the groups that is most affected during disasters and conflicts. There is a need to understand that disabilities, displacement, diseases, malnutrition, discrimination and insecurity worsen the living conditions of the elderly during post-conflict and post-disaster situations. The needs of the elderly should therefore be taken into account in immediate and long-term humanitarian relief and assistance, as well as in humanitarian polices and guidelines. 55. Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by disaster and conflict situations because many of the resources for humanitarian aid, shelter and assistance are inaccessible to them. In addition, experience has demonstrated that there is a direct correlation between discrimination against persons with disabilities and insufficient resources. Humanitarian aid, rescue, relief and rehabilitation should therefore meet the needs of the whole population and include the participation of persons with disabilities in all stages of emergency response. Disability in post-disaster and post-conflict situations is 35 36 16 See www.usip.org/gender_peacebuilding/about_UNSCR_1325. For information on good practices in humanitarian aid, both in post-disaster and post-conflict contexts, see www.actalliance.org/stories/violence-against-women-and-girls. See www.unicef.org/protection/57929_62178.html.