A Study of Humanitarian Funding for Older People

This study quantified the humanitarian aid directed at older people through the UN Consolidated Appeals Process and Flash Appeals in 12 humanitarian crises since 2007, covering a total of 1,912 projects. It found a significant disparity between the needs of older people as a vulnerable group and the humanitarian assistance funded to meet that need. There remains minimal reference to older people within proposals compared with references to other vulnerable groups. In five of the crises studied (Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, OPT 2007 and 2008, and Honduras), not one project in any sector explicitly referred to or provided targeted assistance to older people. Only 93 (4.9 per cent) of the 1,912 projects analysed made any explicit reference to older people as a vulnerable group (compared with 619 or 32.0 per cent for women and children). Of the 93 projects that mention older people, only 18 (0.94 per cent of the total of 1,912) included activities that targeted older people, and of these only 5 were funded. In financial terms, the CAP and Flash appeals raised a total of US$4.2 billion in the 12 crises. Of this, US$8.2 million (0.2 per cent) was allocated to projects that included an activity that specifically targeted older people.