News

As the Syria conflict enters its sixth year, HelpAge International will be working to support older refugees by launching a healthcare programme in Lebanon.

Effective humanitarian responses to the Syria crisis must recognise older people’s vulnerabilities, says HelpAge International, as it launches a project to support their healthcare needs on the fifth anniversary of the conflict.

Last week members of the HelpAge EU network joined together in Brussels to call on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to recognise and respond to population ageing as a critical issue within development and humanitarian policy.

Dr Giorgi Pkhakadze, HelpAge International’s humanitarian health programme manager for Eurasia and the Middle East, has been selected to serve on the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel (IAP).

The UN Secretary-General is to be commended for recognising older people’s needs in humanitarian responses, but more needs to be done, says HelpAge International.

While millions of Syrians have managed to escape their country since the conflict began almost five years ago, there are still some 13.5 million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside the country’s borders.

Heads of state arriving in London this week for a high-level donor conference on Syria need to commit to long-term humanitarian funding for vulnerable people in Syria, including older people, says HelpAge International.

African heads of state are being urged to adopt a protocol on older people’s rights by organisations representing older people across the continent, at the 26th Summit of the African Union meeting in Ethiopia this week.

With the annual African Union (AU) summit just beginning in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, we are calling on the continent’s leaders to challenge discrimination against older women and strive to protect this vulnerable group’s rights.

HelpAge International is urging African Union member states to protect the rights of older women across the continent as they meet at the 26th Africa Union Summit. (21-31 January) The summit marks the start of the Africa Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the rights of women.

Ten high profile international aid agencies are writing to the UN humanitarian chief, criticising the omission of marginalised groups from the preparatory statement for the World Humanitarian Summit next year.

HelpAge International has joined nine other aid agencies to write a letter to the UN humanitarian chief raising concern the omission of marginalised groups including older people, from the World Humanitarian Summit’s preparatory statement.