On August 8, 2023, the Lahaina wildfire caused severe destruction across Hawaii. It killed at least 102 people and burned down over 2,000 residences. The disaster situation displaced thousands of local residents and soon left many others without access to these vital services. After the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross worked together to lead disaster response efforts. Vera’s recent report underscores the alarming increase in sexual exploitation and domestic violence in the lives of survivors. This is especially true for the Filipino community, who represented about 40% of Lahaina’s population prior to the wildfire.
With more than 4,000 structures destroyed by the wildfires, there was an immediate need for temporary shelter and access to daily essentials. Most survivors were placed in short-term housing or were living out of their vehicles, putting them in an even more vulnerable position. The media report’s results of the treatment of Filipino women are very disturbing. Of those surveyed, one out of every six respondents experienced pressure to perform sexual acts in exchange for vital resources. These results are especially worrisome as they suggest that post-disaster support is dangerously insufficient and that marginalized populations are more likely to suffer from disaster risk.
Through extensive, qualitative surveys with 70 Filipino women survivors, researchers uncovered disturbing patterns about the security of Filipino women in emergency shelters. In the chaos, immigrant women and English Language Learners described feeling the most alone and most unsafe. This report reveals a shocking truth – the emergency response may have unintentionally exacerbated the risk of gender-based violence. This is especially alarming given the compounded harm to displaced people of color and immigrant communities.
As of this past April 20, 2025, reconstruction efforts in Lahaina have moved at a snail’s pace, with just 10 homes rebuilt to date. Most of the survivors are still displaced, housing in temporary dwellings or gone from the island entirely. That extended lack of housing adds to a climate that keeps survivors feeling more unsafe than ever.
“Everyone knows that violence against women and children should be considered a primary concern during wildfires and other disasters, not a secondary issue to be addressed after the provision of basic needs. There are plenty of inexpensive fixes, and far less wealthy countries all over the world that really put the United States to shame.” – Khara Jabola-Carolus
It only scratches the surface on FEMA and the Red Cross’s failures to meet victims’ needs. Most importantly, they had a clear lack of options for reporting sexual and domestic violence. United by those experiences, Jabola-Carolus said that the systemic shortcomings they discussed reflected deeper issues in American society.
“The fact that in the richest country in the world women had to resort to any means necessary to meet basic human needs and survive a fire is absolutely a critique of the entire American system – and the problem with having that system forced onto Hawaii.” – Khara Jabola-Carolus
“Natural disasters do not create social inequalities. They make these inequalities worse by creating more vulnerabilities for marginalized communities,” asserted speakers. The Lahaina wildfire has revealed a harsh reality: as communities struggle to rebuild, gender-based violence continues to rise unchecked.
As Ruidas illustrates, the deleterious psychological effects of disasters can lead to dangerous behavioral changes, especially in men.
“Some men are trying to control anything they can control because so little is out of their control, especially with the current rebuilding of Lahaina. Anything they can control – their money, kids, partner – that’s heightened,” – Jordan Ruidas
The report goes beyond raising awareness by calling for immediate action to integrate these experiences into disaster response frameworks. As the report underscores, gender continues to be a neglected dimension of emergency planning and response approaches.
“Fires spark the harmful side of masculinity that other environmental disasters just don’t do, yet gender remains the elephant in the room.” – Khara Jabola-Carolus
The additional and unique needs of vulnerable populations should be anticipated, prioritized, and integrated into all disaster recovery efforts from the outset. Many experts advocate for law enforcement to train responders in gender sensitivity and offer accessible reporting mechanisms for survivors of gender-based violence. These measures are needed to mitigate these risks and ensure that our most vulnerable survivors are receiving the support they deserve.