HUMANITARIAN ACTION ON OLDER PERSONS

Margaret Akpa

This advocacy paper on humanitarian assistance and older persons has been developed by a wide range of humanities actors.

Older persons are entitled to equal protection under fundamental human rights and humanitarian law. Building awareness about the rights and needs of older persons is the first step to reducing their marginalization during and after crises and enabling them to continue supporting themselves and others.

The humanitarian vision is of a world where older women and men lead active, dignified, healthy and secure lives. This applies to all older people, including those affected by humanitarian emergencies. The four principles of humanitarian action – humanity, neutrality,impartiality and operational independence. Everyone has right to safety and dignified access to humanitarian assistance and protection without discrimination and or an equal basis with others.
Everyone responding to a humanitarian crisis has a responsibility to ensure that all those affected including older people, have those rights upheld.

We want older people to be able to access humanitarian aid with dignity and safety. Older women and men are not inherently vulnerable to disasters. However, when disasters strike they are at risk of having their rights denied .
” Sometimes I don’t sleep well. I’m loosing hope because I have no one to take care of me.”
Older women 70

Conclusion
For too long, the humanitarian community has failed to live up to the core principles of humanitarian in it’s response to older people. A common reason cited as the lack of data on older persons in humanitarian crises without a doubt this is an issue. However, the data and voices presented in the paper and an increasing body of research goes to show that we have a good picture of the challenges older people are facing.

RESOURCES
Helpage international (HAI)
International committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
United Nations high commission for Refugees (UNHCR)

Barr Margaret Akpa is a young Legal Practitioner based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. She is also a human rights lawyer, an Advocate for women, girls and Children’s rights.

Email: margaretakpa77@gmail.com

Photo Credit: Vintage Senior Center