WUNRN
Global Action on Aging
Older
Persons Caught in Armed Conflict & Other Emergency Situations - Older Women
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.