Emergency relief

Older people in emergencies

People in later life are particularly vulnerable in emergency situations. Lack of mobility and social isolation can prevent older people from accessing relief assistance. They may not be able to queue for aid packages or travel long distances to reach camps for displaced people. They often have specific needs that aren't met; for example, needs related to their health, nutrition or livelihood.

This problem is compunded by the fact that older people are often overlooked by governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) alike. Seventy-five year old Perumal in Sri Lanka told us he had not bothered queuing for food when assistance arrived after the devastating tsunami in Asia in 2004. He said 'I have been pushed out and have fallen on the ground. I know I will get nothing this time round too. The fastest get the food, the strongest win. Older people and the injured don’t get anything.'

Working in partnership

To ensure that the interests of older people are represented and met during crises, Age UK funds HelpAge International to support local partner organisations to deliver age-friendly aid. HelpAge deploys specialist staff who provide training and resource materials about older people's needs to other aid agencies, give health, livelihoods and social support to older people living in refugee camps, and work with communities in disaster-prone areas to prepare for future emergencies by training and equipping networks of older volunteers.

• launch joint fundraising efforts in order to raise as much money as possible;
• ensure charities don’t double-up on their emergency relief work; and
• ensure charities don’t have to ‘compete’ with each other for funds.

Age UK delivers its emergency relief programmes through its sister organisation, HelpAge International, and encourages other members of the DEC to take the needs and capabilities of older people into account in their disaster relief programmes.