The scale of humanitarian need: humanitarian needs in 2014 and the outlook for 2015 continue the upward trend of the last decade. In 2014, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the numbers of forcibly-displaced people reached 59.5 million2 (of which 19.5 million are refugees and 38.2 million internally displaced), the highest level since records began. The latest available data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) shows that in 2013, 97 million people were affected by natural disasters, and 51.2 million were affected by conflict.3
The impact of climate change will continue to place more people at risk of disaster. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts unprecedented extreme weather and climate events in the coming decades as a result of the changing climate. For example, an already visible trend in Europe4 and Pakistan5 are heatwaves contributing to increased mortality amongst older people.6 Older people are also likely to bear the brunt of many of the underlying risks driven by climate change. Friel et al argue that rising temperatures, increasing numbers of heatwaves and the resulting effect on air quality may lead to increases in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which are felt disproportionately by older people.7
This increase in disasters, the impact of climate change and associated humanitarian need is accompanied by significant demographic change and global ageing. The standards and ratings agency Standard and Poor’s identifies global ageing and climate change as ‘megatrends’8 , with significant consequences for governments, national and international actors in their preparations for, and response to, emergencies.
Global ageing: Today, about 12.2 per cent of the world’s population is aged 60 or over (895 million people)9 . In just four years’ time, the number of older people will surpass 1 billion. By 2050, there will be 2 billion older people, accounting for more than one-fifth of the global population10 and there will be nearly as many people aged 60 or over as children under 15.11 Such demographic changes are not only a concern for developed countries. Currently, two-thirds of older people live in developing countries, where disasters are more likely to occur and the humanitarian impact is greater. By 2050, four-fifths of the world’s older people are projected to live in developing countries.12 Demographic change demands that humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction activities are adapted to the specific needs of older people, and support their capacities.
A principled response demands it: For many, addressing the needs of older people remains an activity for specialist agencies, or something to be done only when time and resources are available. The consequence for the humanitarian system is a serious breach of the principles of humanitarian action, and the undermining of the quality and accountability of humanitarian response. The Red Cross Code of Conduct states that humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone. Distinctions should not be made on the basis of individual factors, including age. A commitment to and reaffirmation of the Principles of Humanitarian action are rightly central to the World Humanitarian Summit. These discussions must not overlook the principle of impartiality and the delivery of humanitarian response that addresses the needs of all affected population groups, including older men and women.