Gender, race, religion, age-there are so many reasons why people are excluded from society. Those who are face an uphill struggle for equality, even if they have the strength and wherewithal to take the first steps. However many do not. What, then, is the reality for these groups when disaster strikes? Hidden, ignored or simply invisible, the most vulnerable-and those potentially in the greatest need-are rarely, if ever, at the forefront of aid operations. This report turns the spotlight on these groups, examining how and why they face discrimination. It calls on communities, governments and agencies to work harder to identify the most vulnerable and work together to ensure that their specific needs are addressed in an emergency.Published annually since 1993 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the "World Disasters Reports" bring together the latest trends, facts and analysis of contemporary crises-whether "natural" or human-made, quick-onset or chronic.