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Older People in Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practice

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With the aim of helping relief agencies meet the special needs of older people in emergencies, these guidelines outline key approaches and actions to help the humanitarian community reduce the vulnerability associated with ageing, as well ways of enhancing the capacities and contribution of older people in emergencies.

In addition, wider issues relating to older people in humanitarian crises are explored, ranging from globally agreed principles of social and civil practice and global demographic changes, to the physical impact of the ageing process, common images and assumptions held about older people, the key problems they face, and the gender dimensions of their needs.

The guidelines are based on wide-ranging research from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas and several years of global disaster experience.