WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2023 – HelpAge USA welcomed recent congressional action on the inclusion of older people in U.S. government humanitarian initiatives.
The Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus Appropriations bill, signed into law in late December, requests that the Secretary of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) brief Congress on “the inclusion of older people as beneficiaries of humanitarian, evacuation, resettlement, and recovery efforts.” It also requests information on relevant policies and reporting mechanisms related to older people. The agencies have 120 days following the bill’s enactment to conduct the briefing.
“Older people have been overlooked in humanitarian response for far too long,” says HelpAge USA President and CEO Cindy Cox-Roman. “Congress’ interest in how the U.S. supports older people in humanitarian action is crucial to reversing this neglect and signals that the U.S. can and should show leadership in ensuring the rights and dignity of older people around the world.”
In November, HelpAge USA and a coalition of seven other groups dedicated to the rights of older people sent letters to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees in support of the bill’s language requiring the State Department and USAID to report on older people. The groups also sent letters to USAID and State Department leadership regarding inclusion of older people in humanitarian action in Ukraine and other countries.
The coalition groups are: AARP, American Federation for Aging Research, American Society on Aging, Global Ageing Network, Grantmakers in Aging, HelpAge USA, LeadingAge, and National Council on Aging.
HelpAge USA advances the wellbeing and inclusion of older people around the world. As part of the HelpAge Global network, HelpAge USA works to ensure that the contributions of all older people are recognized, and they have the right to a healthy, safe, and secure life.
