Global Humanitarian Overview 2021

Approximately 26 million older persons experience disasters each year.⁴ This number is growing, yet older persons continue to be overlooked in emergency relief systems.⁵ Their ability to adapt and prepare may be hindered by health conditions, disabilities or social and economic disadvantages. Those who are less educated, unskilled and with fewer resources are more likely to be victims of abuse.⁶ Older women are particularly at risk due to increased life expectancy, being widowed or alone.⁷

COVID-19 has increased the abuse, and neglect of older persons around the world⁸ and greatly amplified fear and anxiety.⁹ Before the pandemic, it was estimated that 1 in 6 older persons were subject to abuse. Emerging evidence indicates that this is sharply increasing as a direct result of the pandemic and lockdown measures.¹⁰ The risks of neglect or isolation continues to be higher for people living in camps than those living in the community.¹¹

Overcrowding in camp settings, as well as limited health care, and water and sanitation, puts older persons at particular risk.¹² In South Sudan 45 per cent of older persons reported that their access to health services had changed due to COVID-19, partly due to transport costs, partly due to fear of contracting the virus at a health facility and partly due to pre-existing difficulties in accessing health (9 per cent of older adults surveyed stated they never had access to health services before the pandemic).¹³