News

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.

Older people in Tanzania are to have a specific ministry devoted to their welfare for the first time in the country’s history.

Tanzania’s incoming government is opening a new ministry that will have a focus on the welfare of the country’s older men and women – a fantastic achievement for those advocating for the rights of older people.

HelpAge welcomes the Paris climate change agreement as a historic achievement but is alarmed by the exclusion of older people from the list of those considered to live in vulnerable situations, whose rights need to be addressed.

Adapting to climate change today will protect older people from natural disasters, droughts and famine tomorrow, says HelpAge International.