New research by HelpAge International launched today, reveals that although older people are recognised as a vulnerable group, many relief agencies frequently fail to meet their specific needs.

They do not provide access to food, water and shelter, nor do they provide targeted programmes such as health care or income-generating schemes for older people.

Aceh in Indonesia was one of the worst affected tsunami areas when the earthquake struck the coast on 26 December 2004. Around 167,000 people died and more than 500,000 lost their homes.

Indonesia has the tenth largest population of older people in the world, with an estimated 16.5 million people aged 60 and above. Almost a fifth of these are living on less than US$1 a day.

Older people want to go back to work Results of the research are published in the report, Older people in Aceh, Indonesia 18 months after the tsunami: Issues and recommendations. Consultations with older people, community leaders, and development workers based in the field found that:

Many older people want to go back to work to help support their families, who have been plunged even deeper into poverty because of the tsunami. Around 7% of households are headed by older people, and often these include grandchildren or orphans. Many older people in Aceh lost crucial pieces of documentation such as identity cards and land deeds, making it almost impossible for them to access benefits. Older people suffer from health problems which restrict mobility, such as visual impairment and joint pains. Those older people receiving a private pension said it provided a vital and regular source of income for themselves and their family.

80-year-old Puan and her family survived by tying themselves to trees with bits of cloth. Puan can no longer work due to ill health and lives in temporary accommodation with her sons and grandchildren. "When I had a livelihood I could buy food and do anything I wanted," says Puan. "I would like to help my family by raising chickens or growing vegetables."

HelpAge International is calling on governments and aid organisations to include the following principles of good practice in programmes:

Include older people in data collection and assessments in order to locate and identify them. Implement programmes that target older people's particular needs, such as health and community care. Mainstream ageing issues into organisational policies and practices to guarantee the inclusion of older people in disaster response and preparedness programmes. Promote older people's participation and involvement in community projects. "Many successful programmes have taken place in Aceh over the last 18 months, but older people are not always included," says Eduardo Klien, HelpAge International's Asia Pacific Regional Representative.

"Throughout our discussions, older people frequently noted how a little financial support would enable them to purchase goods, access services and invest in income-generating activities.

"HelpAge International is calling on governments and relief agencies to remember the needs of older people in every crisis, and provide them with a social pension or a regular non-contributory cash transfer to help generate a wide range of benefits for the community as a whole."

AlertNet Sep 12

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