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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
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Jordan-Syria:
Elderly Syrian Refugees Need More Care (June 29, 2012)
Many Syrian refugees in Jordan are in need of mental and
physical support. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been
able to help over 85,000 Syrian refugees registered in
Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. However, there is not
enough funding to adequately help older refugees in need
of surgery, physiotherapy, and psychological
care.
Palestine: Older Man Released
After He Was Imprisoned by His Family for 3 Years
(May 23, 2011)
(Article in Arabic)
Gaza police detectives found and released an older
person who was trapped in a room for 3 years. His family was punishing him
because he had killed one of his friends by mistake. He ended up being a
pensioner in that small room for 3 years.
Japan: Rescuers Find 80-Year-Old Woman, 16-Year-Old
Grandson in Rubble 9 Days after Quake (March 20,
2011)
(Article also in Arabic)
An 80-year-old woman and her
teenage grandson were rescued Sunday in Ishinomaki,
Miyagi Prefecture, after the youth was able to pull
himself out of their flattened two-story house nine
days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Israel : The Murder of an Older Person
with 14 Bullets (January 8, 2011)
(Article
in
Arabic)
Israeli army soldiers committed a shocking crime while
trying to arrest Hamas activists. They killed Amro
Alkawasimy, a 66 year old Palestinian by shooting him
with 14 bullets in his home in Hebron. The victim’s son
accused the Israeli Army of killing his father in cold
blood when they shot his sleeping father, pumping 13
bullets into his head and 1 into his heart.
Pakistan: Pakistan Floods Spreading
Fast and Affecting Millions (August 11, 2010)
Floods in Pakistan could affect up to one million older
persons. Relief organizations are distributing aid to
vulnerable old people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More than
1,600 persons have died in the monsoon floods. Despite
mass evacuations, many fear the death toll will rise as
the floods reach the southern province of Sindh and as
the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks increases.
Haiti: Six Months on: Older Haitians Still Need
Support (July 12, 2010)
Six months after January’s devastating earthquake, older
people have voiced their frustration at being excluded
from humanitarian assistance such as cash-for-work
programs. The situation for elders in Haiti before the
earthquake was already very fragile. More than 70
percent of the population was living on less than two US
dollars per day. Older people in particular depend
heavily on remittances from the US via family and
friends.
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.
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.
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