HelpAge USA Releases New Report on How to Advance Inclusion of Older People in Humanitarian Crises

Washington, D.C. (June 3, 2025) — HelpAge USA, in partnership with HelpAge International, today released a new report documenting an innovative initiative to advance the inclusion of older people during humanitarian crises. Older people are among those most at risk in armed conflicts, crises, and climate-related disasters, although they frequently remain invisible in humanitarian response.

The research, conducted by the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne, examines the work of HelpAge’s Age Inclusion Specialists in humanitarian crises in Ethiopia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Venezuela. The report finds that the specialists have catalyzed change in country-level humanitarian systems by creating more awareness and giving humanitarian actors specific tools to use in assessments, data collection, and programming.

The specialists also promote the active participation of older people in humanitarian response systems. Older people have the most direct knowledge about their circumstances and solutions that meet their needs. 

The report draws from more than 70 interviews with UN agencies, NGOs, and humanitarian leaders across the four countries. The Age Inclusion Specialists and the research were funded by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) to advance equity and visibility for older people in emergency response.

“This report affirms what HelpAge has long advocated: that humanitarian action must be inclusive of older people and to include their direct input to be effective,” said Cindy Cox-Roman, President and CEO of HelpAge USA. “With the support of CDP and the research expertise of the Nossal Institute, we now have the evidence and insight to scale a model that works.”

The new report finds that in all four countries, the work of the Age Inclusion Specialists led to tangible shifts, as older people began appearing in needs assessments, planning documents, and coordination meetings where they had previously been overlooked. The specialists achieved these changes through awareness raising, training, and creation of assessment tools and guidance documents, among other efforts. 

For example, in Venezuela, the specialist supported the development of guidelines for adjusting humanitarian food baskets to better align with older people’s nutritional needs. In Ethiopia, a revised data collection tool identified six times more older people in one region in the Tigray province than had been previously known.

The specialists’ development of strong partnerships and collaboration with Older People’s Associations (OPAs)—as well as humanitarian actors working across different sectors, such as shelter, health, and protection—are also vital. 

According to a UN official in Ethiopia: “Before the AIS arrived, older people were just not on the radar. Now, we’re actually asking the right questions — Who’s being left behind? Are our distributions reaching them? It’s changed how we think.”

However, these gains must be further solidified. The report finds that inclusion efforts often depend on individual relationships and may not be supported by long-term leadership, funding, or institutional commitment. One humanitarian official in Ethiopia noted: “The AIS role is a catalyst, but without broader buy-in, the impact risks fading when they are not around.” 

Importantly, the report emphasizes that older age inclusion should not be siloed. Respondents pointed to the value of integrating age considerations into existing initiatives on disability rights, gender inclusion, and accountability to affected populations, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. As one aid worker in Venezuela put it: “If we’re talking about dignity and inclusion, then older people need to be part of that conversation—always.”

To mark the report’s release, HelpAge USA and HelpAge International co-hosted a virtual global panel on June 3 featuring the Nossal Institute research team, a UNHCR official from Ukraine, and the Age Inclusion Specialist from Ethiopia. The discussion underscored a shared message: humanitarian actors are ready to act and benefit from the expertise and commitment that Age Inclusion Specialists bring.

“Age Inclusion Specialists have demonstrated exactly how humanitarian response can be more inclusive and accountable,” Cox-Roman said. “At this crucial time of transformation and ‘reset’ in the humanitarian system, sustaining and scaling their impact is essential to delivering on core humanitarian commitments to impartiality and reaching those most at risk.”