Policy brief: Older persons in emergency situations
This policy brief addresses Commitments 1, 2, 4, and 7, 8, 10 of the Regional Implementation Strategy of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing; Goals I and 3 of the 2017 Lisbon Ministerial Declaration, and SDGs 1,2,3, 5 and 10 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of older persons carrying the burden of severe illness and mortality as well as of acute loneliness and isolation. As of September 2020, nearly 9 out of 10 COVID-19 related deaths reported in the UNECE region have been among adults aged 65 years and older. Disaster risk reduction and preparedness plans need to be “older persons friendly and inclusive” to prevent and mitigate the potentially devastating implications of emergency crises among them.
Find here some of the suggested strategies to ensure that the needs of older person are addressed within preparedness, disaster risk reduction, emergency response and recovery frameworks requires:
- Engaging older persons in the development of preparedness plans and disaster risk reduction strategies;
- Considering older persons prominently in the mechanisms and operations of national and regional civil protection;
- Addressing the needs and rights of older persons in relief efforts;
- Providing financial support and extended social protection measures to protect older persons from the social and economic stress resulting from emergency crises;
- Developing recovery strategies and actions geared towards “building back better”, contemplating specific measures for reintegrating older persons into the normal circuits of social and economic life;
- Promoting the collection, analysis, and dissemination of age-disaggregated data, to inform emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery strategies.
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