A/71/254 differential treatment of minorities in the aftermath of disasters. Politically dominant areas may happen to be more accessible to points of entry for finance, materials and relief personnel, a situation often referred to as “tarmac bias”. 86. However, State actors are primarily responsible for the organization and distribution of humanitarian relief. Moreover, there are proven cases of inharmonious or strained relationships between the majority State and the minority affected groups, which may impact upon relief efforts, including for international organizations where control is maintained at the national lev el. This is a stark reminder that when human rights are not sufficiently accounted for, the consequences in disaster relief include unequal access to assistance and discrimination, in which aid agencies can become unintentionally complicit. 87. Furthermore, other reasons more linked to the institutionalized discrimination experienced by marginalized minorities may also play a more critical role in explaining the disparate experience of minorities in accessing humanitarian relief in post-disaster settings. For example, minority communities are often isolated from or mistrust the institutions, organizations and agencies responsible for emergency planning and response. As noted in the 2015 report of the Special Rapporteur (A/70/212) to the General Assembly, relations between minority communities and law enforcement are often problematic. Complaints of both over -policing and under-policing, along with allegations of police abuse are a common part of the minority experience. Given that these same agencies often play a fundamental role as first responders in times of humanitarian crises, the distrust of law enforcement and the justice system, and social and political isolation may pose barriers to effective relief efforts. 35 88. Moreover, a critical component of all emergency planning and assistance is communication. In order to reach vulnerable individuals, emergency plans and information must be disseminated before, during and after emergencies and disasters. Particularly for minority groups whose members have limited proficiency in the majority language, receiving adequate information during times of disaster may be a significant challenge. Even multilingual efforts — because of difficulties in developing culturally tailored materials — may fall short of providing equal and effective information. 89. Effective and adequate planning can be essential for communities living in regions that are prone to such events. However, minority and disempowered populations may be at a disadvantage in securing equitable policy decisions from elected and appointed official bodies through conventional processes because political power tends to be asymmetrical. 3. Impact of emergency response failures 90. Emergency response failures can have catastrophic consequences, including loss of the ability to work or live independently, permanent injury and even death. For minorities who are likely to suffer disproportionate harm in disaster, this can be compounded. Thus, the needs of minorities must be addressed during all three phases of emergency response operations — pre-event planning and preparation, the event and recovery. __________________ 35 22/25 See, International Committee of the Red Cross, To Serve and To Protect: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for Police and Security Forces (Geneva, 2014). 16-13193