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Older Persons Caught in Armed Conflict and Other Emergency
Situations
GAA United Nations Advocacy | Background Documents | Current Issues
Events | Links
Older people who are victims of violent conflicts in many parts of the world face serious problems. They cannot escape due to lack of mobility or physical strength and become
targets of violence and reprisals. As families and communities disintegrate, older persons may be left isolated, destitute and without support systems. They are often less able to adapt to a difficult new environment and face obstacles to secure relief, social services and employment. When the conflict ends, their experience and potential for peace-building and social reconstruction may be ignored.
Similarly, when natural disasters such as floods, droughts, famines or other emergencies strike a community, older people face many difficulties. Often others pushe elderly out of food or transport lines. Older persons do not receive adequate rations or stipends, do not secure needed medications, and become invisible within families. In spite of these obstacles, older persons often take care of children and others who are sick or dependent as well as take on maintenance work to restore the community.
The Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging (MIPAA), adopted by UN Member States in 2002, refers to the situation of older persons in emergency situations under its
Priority Direction 1: Older persons and development. MIPAA focuses on equal access to food, shelter and medical care. In addition, it urges recognition of and support for contributions of older persons to their communities after an emergency situation.
Global Action on Aging advocates for the adoption of more comprehensive and internationally binding policies addressing the problems and potential contributions of older persons at all stages of an emergency situation.
This section, launched in spring 2003, provides information on the legal and humanitarian aspect of older persons in emergency situations along with materials that Global Action on Aging has submitted to international bodies. The section also follows developments in line with MIPAA’s recommendations.
GAA United
Nations Advocacy
Checklist for Older Persons in Internally Displaced Persons Camps (August
2005)
Global Action on Aging and Help Age International cooperated to prepare a Check List for the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Internally Displaced Persons. Dr. Walter Kaelin from Switizerland had noticed the preponderance of older persons in some of the first IDP camps he visited. His staff asked for a short checklist tailored to indicators of older persons' well-being in the camps. In response to his query, GAA and HAI produced this short check list for his use.
Global Action on Aging Addresses UN Economic and Social Council on Protecting Older Persons in Situations of Armed
Conflict (June 30, 2004)
Global Action on Aging presented this statement on protecting older persons in situations of armed conflict, especially the Least Developed Countries, to the UN Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) in its High Level Segment session. One of only ten non-governmental organizations that spoke, GAA outlined what
ECOSOC could do as well as responses that NGOs must take. This occasion marked the first time that GAA has addressed the Council since achieving special consultative status in 2003. It recognized GAA's policy work in humanitarian protection of civilians.
Statement available in Arabic, Chinese,
French, Russian
and Spanish
Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Older Persons (September
16, 2003)
Global Action on Aging and Help Age
International submitted this statement to the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for consideration in
preparing its periodic report to the UN Security Council. The report
summarizes the issues facing older persons in armed conflict, outlines
international standards and commitments for their safety and submits
recommendations for their protection.
Background Documents
International
Legal Standards, Principles and Commitments
A compilation of documents on protection of civilians in conflict
situations, such as the Geneva Convention, the Guiding Principles on
Internal Displacement, the Convention Relating to the Status of
Refugees and lists the agencies and organizations enforcing these
rights.
The Elderly in Situations of Armed Conflict
(May 22,
2001)
During the armed conflicts that have occurred since the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions, the proportion of civilian casualties has moved higher, reaching 90% in some cases. Among them, the elderly pay a heavy toll. The elderly do have a protection under the International Humanitarian Law which is not based upon categories of people. It means the elderly are considered as a "vulnerable" group as women or children. The law contains some provisions relating to the elderly but nothing about them in particular. There is for instance nothing about the age at which an individual is considered to be "elderly." That's why Françoise Krill from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
(ICRC) proposes different initiatives in this paper to give more specific protection to the elderly. The ICRC continues with its mission to spread knowledge of international humanitarian law, protect the civilian population, visit persons deprived of their freedom and provide medical and food aid.
Older People in
Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practice (2000)
Sponsored by the UN's
High Commissioner for Refugees and the Aid Department of the European Commission, Help Age International compiled
these guidelines for aid workers in the field. The guidelines aim to
integrate older people into mainstream relief services and to ensure their
equal access to these services. While the document is very comprehensive
and gives good guidance it remains unclear if field agencies really make
use of it.
Current Issues
Africa | Americas
| Asia / Pacific | Europe
/ Central Asia
Middle East &
North Africa | Global
Nigeria: Niger Delta Elders Declare August 11 Non-Violent Day (August 11, 2009)
In an effort to bring lasting peace to the Niger Delta region, leaders of various groups within the region met yesterday and declared August 11 to be a day of non-violent action. All workers in the Niger Delta region are expected to stay at home, and any violation of the communiqué signed by Ijaw Leader Chief Edwin Clark will be seen as an unfriendly act towards the people of the Niger Delta. This communiqué instructs the people to embark on a nationwide rally.
Gaza: Gaza (August 4, 2009)
A new HelpAge International program in Gaza has been giving voice to concerns, fears, and aspirations of older men and women affected by the recent war. The main wish for these old people is for their homes to be rebuilt so they can live in them before they die. Many discussed their desire to see their children living outside of Palestine, previously impossible because of the border closures. This work with the National Agency for Family Care is part of HelpAge International’s first program in Gaza. The two hope to continue to work together to set up community groups led by older men that will provide assistance, home-based care and psychological support to the elderly populations.
Argentina: Each Month Over 30 Older Persons Attacked by Delinquents (June 15, 2009)
(Article in Spanish)
According to a recent report conducted in Buenos Aires, on average 30 older persons die each month as a result of extreme violence from thieves attempting to rob them of their belongings. In 2007 the Department of Justice of the nation registered a total of 295 elders murdered in the country. It is crucial that families and neighbors remain alert and help older persons to avert future violent attacks.
Gaza: Six Months Later, Older Persons Still Suffer from Israeli Attacks (May 28, 2009)
Recently, Senior Liaison Officer from the UNRWA, Saahir Lone, sat down with the NGO working group on Israel/Palestine to discuss the current situation. The people of Gaza face a critical problem, one of “access” to many goods necessary for reconstruction of both homes and institutions (such as the damaged medical infrastructure). Furthermore commercial goods such as medications and foodstuffs are not allowed into the region, leaving vulnerable groups and specifically older people at a very high risk.
World: Refugees Join List of Climate-Change
Issues (May 28, 2009)
A thorny debate has emerged over govenrment’s responsibilities for the millions of people, including many older persons, likely to be displaced soon by climate change. There could be 200 million of these climate refugees by 2050, depending on the degree of climate disturbances. In the coming days, the UN General Assembly is expected to adopt the first resolution linking climate change to international peace and security. As it is, the compromise resolution does not mention specific steps, one of the reasons it is expected to pass. The UK which introduced climate change as a Security Council discussion topic supports it, along with most of Europe, while other permanent Council members (namely, the United States, China and Russia) generally backed the measure once it no longer explicitly demanded Council action.
Pakistan: As Conditions Worsen in Swat Valley, Many Older People are Stranded in the Combat Zone (May 27, 2009)
(Article in Arabic)
This article covers a recent bombing in the Swat Valley in Northwestern Pakistan, part of the growing violence and unrest in the country as the Pakistani government struggles to oust the Taliban from the region. In the shooting and car bombing targeting regional Pakistani intelligence, there were at least 30 casualties and over 300 injuries. The Pakistani army fought fiercely in this region but these actions have placed civilians at high risk, generating a rapidly worsening refugee crisis (numbering close to 2.38 million people). As in most situations of armed conflict, older people and other vulnerable groups are at particularly high risk. According to UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond, of even larger concern are the many older persons who, unable to leave the combat zone, are stranded amidst the fighting.
Iraq: Increased Violence and Bombings along Iraqi Border Put Older People at Risk (April 24, 2009)
(Article in Arabic)
A recent suicide bombing in North-Eastern Iraq targeting Iranian Religious Pilgrims on their way to a Shiite shrine, illustrated the vulnerability of older people in situations of violence. This incident, part of a larger trend in the region, resulted in the deaths of 48 people most of who were of older age. The organization that carried out the attack bombed restaurants and rest stops, exploiting the vulnerability of certain groups, particularly older people, who must make more frequent and longer pauses along their journey. According to Iraqi security sources, these attacks could be increasing in the coming months, putting everyone, but particularly older people, at a high risk.
Sri Lanka: Some Movement to Secure Safe Passage for Civilians (April 18, 2009)
The fate of civilians trapped in the 'no-fire zone' has become a major concern for the international community at this stage of the Sri Lankan civil war. The UN Security Council has called on Tamil Tiger rebels to lay down their arms and let the UN help evacuate civilians from the war zone. Talks by top UN officials and veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar with the Sri Lankan leadership have resulted in some movement in efforts to secure safe passage for civilians trapped in war zones in the island's north. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka has stepped up its emergency response. According to the Sri Lankan Government, some 1,800 displaced persons with special needs, particularly the elderly, have been released from the sites, and 1,345 separated families have so far been reunited.
Gaza: Living in a Nursing Home with Memories of a Recent War (March 8, 2009)
(Article in Arabic)
Rahma Marad spends her days in a nursing home in the Gaza Strip, living in fear and trauma from the most recent escalation of violence in the region. The hospital where she resides houses older women who do not have families that can care for them. During the recent heavy Israeli shelling, the hospital sustained bombing and destruction that left it barely habitable, also destroying hard-to-replace medical equipment. These old women face psychological trauma and fear for their lives, particularly in a place where there is no infrastructure to care for them.
Georgia: Older People Distressed by the Conflict (October 6, 2008)
(Article in French)
A member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) describes the aftermath of the South Ossetian War in the city of Gori, Georgia. Most inhabitants were able to flee the city, occupied by the Russians until August 2008, but older people remained for lack of physical strength. These people, aged 75 and older, are now being taken care of by personnel sent by the ICRC. Older people have been living with the fear of not seeing their loved ones again. They have been suffering from lack of assistance and have been enduring the constant threat of thieves.
Report: Myanmar: Older People and Cyclone Nargis (2008)
Based on research carried out in July 2008, the authors analyse the situation of older people 100 days after the cyclone struck Myanmar. Surveys, interviews and group discussions were conducted in 30 villages located in the damaged area. HelpAge International identified the main concerns of older people: healthcare support, food aid, psychological support and home care. Unfortunately, the study did not disaggregate data by sex.
Myanmar : Older People Face Many Challenges after Nargis (September 11, 2008)
(Article in French)
Cyclone Nargis has affected 700,000 people aged 55 and over. Despite the extreme vulnerability of this particular group, only 10% of the interviewees declared having received specific assistance. Eighty per cent had lost their caregivers and did not possess enough resources to survive alone. In the aftermath of the cyclone, older people in Myanmar suffered from lack of medical assistance and growing isolation.
Georgia: Georgians Left in South Ossetia Forced to Flee (August 13, 2008)
The recent conflict between Georgia and the Russian-backed South Ossetia has left many homeless. Many Georgians are being forced to flee Tskhinvali, the South Ossentian capital, after a week of armed conflict. Among them is Vinera Chebataryeva, 70, a retired teacher and native Georgian. Armed Ossentian separatist soldiers entered her apartment and a Georgian tank fired at her wall, leaving two gaping holes. In a city rife with hostilities reflecting powerful international interests in the area, old people are not spared.
China: After Quake, China's Elderly Long for Family (June 2, 2008)
Many elderly people lost their families in the earthquake. What is life like now, without money, without homes, without clothing and food? This article describes the harsh reality. It gives examples of families who abandoned their old family members so that many older people are left to care for themselves. They live in tents in a camp, fearful of the future. Three weeks after the quake, an 82-year-old blind woman named Liu said, "my only complaint is I don't have clothes to change into. When I escaped from the earthquake, I was wearing this. I'm still wearing it."
Burma: Surviving the Storm (June 2008)
The Cyclone Nargis was a horrible force of nature. Now you can see the alarming proportions. Can you imagine losing twelve family members, including all of your grandchildren? That happened to one grandmother. The rural areas of Myammar were especially affected by this disaster. The future is uncertain because most
people in the countryside are farmers and now their crops are ruined.
Report: Kosovo: A Forgotten World: the Serb Enclaves in Kosovo (May 26, 2008)
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia launched the project ‘Serb-Serb Dialogue in Serb Enclaves in Kosovo’ at the beginning of 2008. This project focuses on the Serb minority in Kosovo. Most of the young people no longer live in villages, having left behind lonely older
persons to go to the cities. Life is not very pleasant in the villages and bad memories linger between the Serbs and Bosnians. However, an old man explains in this article that both groups manage to socialize with each other, particularly at religious holidays, such as Ramadan or Christmas.
China: Elderly Try Hard to Deal with Trauma (May 23, 2008)
The earthquake in China spared the stadium located in Jiuzhou, near the city of Sichuan. The refugees from the earthquake have settled into one of the largest camps set up for persons whose houses collapsed during the earthquake. The reporter tells the story of three older persons that came to this camp and how Chinese relief staff are helping them face their current situation and encouraging them to build a new life.
China: In Sichuan, Older Persons Want to Stay Next to the Sky (May 19, 2008)
Thousands of Chinese people who left the cities to save fathers and mothers stayed in the middle of the ruins that followed the earthquake that devastated the area on May 12, 2008. Older persons who lived all their lives in higher altitudes often don’t want to walk down the mountains even if they are told to do so by the authorities. However, sanitary conditions are dangerous because the air is very hot and a new earthquake shock can happen anytime.
Burma: CARE Assessment Teams Report As Many As 90 Per Cent of Deaths are Women, Children and the Elderly (May 16, 2008)
It is estimated that 90% of the flood victims were women, children and elderly who were not able to run and swim to safety. In addition, many elderly residents died in the floodwaters while trapped in their houses. Because they were more able to flee the cyclone, young men were more able to reach medical services and receive care.
Report: Somalia: Routinely Targeted Attacks on Civilians in Somalia (May 6, 2008)
Amnesty International interviewed more than 75 displaced persons (some older persons) and met with scores of local and international non-governmental organizations (NGO) representatives about ongoing human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict in Somalia, specifically torture and other ill-treatment, rape, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Amnesty International offers recommendations to the parties involved, calling on the international community to make this an urgent priority.
Gaza: Israeli Airstrike Kills Elderly Palestinian in Gaza (April 24, 2008)
Israeli aircraft gunners killed an elderly Palestinian in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hangun. The Palestinians, via the elected Hamas Party, are protesting against Israel’s continuing economic blockade of the Gaza Strip by shelling bordering Israeli towns. In reprisal, the Israeli’s killed over 120 Palestinians, mostly civilians, in March 2008 alone. This nameless old man is just one more civilian casualty.
Serbia: Prosecutor: General Murdered Elderly Serbs (March 11, 2008)
General Ante Gotovina, a former Croation military commander, is on trial for leading a three-month “Operation Storm” against the Serbs in 1995. During the operation, elderly Serbs were violently harassed, arrested and murdered. “The entire Serb population had been driven out and the Serb community was a scarred wasteland of destroyed villages and homes,” says the prosecutor Alan Tiger.
Kenya: Helping Older People in the Wake of Violence (January 16, 2008)
Elderly people need particular care and attention during emergency situations. Vulnerable older people were unable to flee the post-election violence that occurred in Kenya. However, according to this report from Nakuru, a town in the Rift Valley, they have an important role. In this town where many people were killed, dozens of older people are welcoming and hosting the displaced families and relatives.
Report: Asia: Mainstreaming Age Friendliness (January 2008)
This report examines the partnership Help Age International and the British Red Cross Society formed to address the special needs of the elderly in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia. It also looks at the crucial role of older persons in reconstruction, highlighting their role in rebuilding tsunami-damaged buildings.
US:
Still Left Behind (August 31, 2007)
While many rich people see the opportunity to rebuild
New Orleans
in a “better way,” many poor people still dream of moving back to
their homes. Says 79-year-old Carrie Lewis, who for the past two years has
lived in a small trailer 100 miles northwest of
New Orleans
, “I want to go home, [but] they don’t have places for old people in
New Orleans
yet. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want to die in a little trailer
in the middle of a field somewhere.”
Greece:
After the Flames, Elderly Greeks Wonder What's Left (August 29, 2007)
 Because
of the raging wild fires in Greece, older persons were evacuated from
villages that many of them have never left. The evacuation happened so
fast, that some, like Dimitra Agrida, an 85-year-old widow, didn’t even
have time to put on shoes. However, those evacuated consider themselves
lucky. More than 63 people have already died in the fire. Says Iannoula
Iannopoulos, 77, "there are just 30 people living there and we are
all old. What could we do against the flames?”
Peru:
Peru Quake Hit Rural Areas Hard (August 24, 2007)
The majority of governmental,
inter-governmental and non-governmental aid agencies have aimed relief
efforts at cities such as Pisco and Ica while mainly ignoring rural areas.
It now becomes evident that many rural dwellings, which tend to have the
most marginalized populations, have been hit. Victor Ramirez, a village
elder, explains the most immediate needs: “"The most important
thing is that the children and the old people get something to eat, and
that they have blankets at night."
Kenya: Heavy Rains Wreak
Havoc (August 19, 2007)
As heavy rains in Kenya continue thousands of people remain unable to
return to their houses, while others are cut of from the outside world.
Local councilor Aggrey Ojiambo reports that “the elderly and children
were sleeping in the cold and there was no food to about 40, 000 victims
in 10 villages.” He adds that the government has yet to release food
supplies.
Events
UN Roundtable on Older Persons in the 2004 Tsunami (February 13-14, 2006)
What happened to older persons in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami? Ignored or engaged? Voiceless or decision-makers?
Global Action on Aging and Help Age International are asking UN experts, affected government leaders, relief agencies and local NGOs to answer these tough questions.
Their analyses and ideas at the UN's Commission for Social Development will reveal ways to serve older persons better in emergencies. (The Roundtable, alas, is open only to persons carrying UN accreditation.)
Global
Action on Aging Statement submitted to the MDG Global Watch Side Event at
the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Fourth Session, 2005
During the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a new organization, MDG
Global Watch, asked Global Action on Aging to submit a Statement to its
Side Event. This NGO wanted us to link older indigenous persons' issues
with the UN Millennium Development Goals. Here is the GAA Statement that
reviews the continuing practice of powerful corporations that sicken and
kill native peoples as they seize and exploit the indigenous people's
natural resources.
Global Action on Aging presents:
A Speak Out on "Older Indigenous Caught in Armed Conflict" at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
(May 17, 2004)
In the second week of the
2004 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Global Action on Aging
organized a side event panel on
"Older Indigenous People caught in
Armed Conflict." Older Indigenous people, especially women, are very
vulnerable in armed conflict situations. It is very hard for them to
access humanitarian aid even when it is available. They don't have the
strength to fight for food. Some relief workers also believe that old
people are about to die, so there is no need to help them. Here is a
summary of the speeches from the different speakers present.
Links
![[ image: Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable]](../site_images/index17.jpg)
Work of Inter-governmental and
Non-governmental Organizations
This page summarizes the work of Intergovernmental and
other Non- governmental organizations and details their work and publications
on elderly caught in emergency situations.
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