In disaster casualty classifications, which term refers to individuals affected indirectly by the event?

• A. Direct victim
• B. Refugee
• C. Indirect victim
• D. Displaced person

Answer: (C)

In disaster casualty classifications, the focus is on how people are affected by the event, not just where they are. A direct victim is someone who suffers physical harm or death from the disaster itself. An indirect victim, on the other hand, is someone who experiences the event’s consequences without being physically harmed—things like losing a job, housing instability, bereavement, or lasting psychological stress. This term specifically captures those who bear the secondary impact of the disaster rather than the initial harm.

Refugee and displaced person describe people's movement or displacement status rather than the casualty outcome, so they don’t pinpoint the type of impact being described. Direct victims are the ones with physical injury or death, which is a different kind of involvement than indirect effects. So the best term for individuals affected indirectly by the event is indirect victim.