Making humanitarian aid work for everyone

Putting older people at the heart of emergency response

Published

Age Inclusion Specialists are driving critical change in humanitarian responses by ensuring older people are no longer overlooked, according to a new report from HelpAge. But it also makes clear that without urgent, system-wide commitment, older people will continue to be excluded when they need support the most. 

Older people are still being left out of humanitarian response

When disaster or conflict strikes, older people are among the most at risk – yet they’re often invisible in emergency planning. From food and shelter to protection and medical care, their needs are too frequently overlooked. 

HelpAge is working to change this. In partnership with HelpAge USA and with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, we’re making sure older people are no longer forgotten in times of crisis. 

Watch the webinar and download the report

Watch the webinar discussion: To mark the report’s release, HelpAge USA and HelpAge International co-hosted a virtual global panel on 3 June featuring the Nossal Institute research team, the Protection Cluster Coordinator in 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. 

Report: Explore the full report to learn more about how age inclusion specialists are shifting the humanitarian landscape, and what must happen next to make older age inclusion the norm, not the exception. 

Access the report here.

A new approach: Age Inclusion Specialists

The new report – produced in collaboration with the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne – explores the impact of HelpAge’s Age Inclusion Specialists (AIS) in four crisis-affected countries: Ethiopia, Moldova, Ukraine and Venezuela. 

These specialists are embedded in humanitarian coordination systems and work with UN agencies, NGOs, and government partners. Their goal? To make older people visible – in needs assessments, planning meetings, and response activities – and to ensure that their voices are heard. 

Before the Age Inclusion Specialist arrived, older people were just not on the radar. Now, we’re actually asking the right questions - Who’s left behind? Are our distributions reaching them? It’s changed how we think.

A UN official in Ethiopia

How are Age Inclusion Specialists making a difference?

  1. They bring older people into the picture AIS have helped put older people back on the map. In Ethiopia, a revised data tool identified six times more older people in one region than had been previously recorded. In Venezuela, food aid was redesigned to meet older people’s nutritional needs. 
  2. They drive system-wide change From training humanitarian staff to designing new tools and guidance, AIS help ensure older age inclusion is integrated across all sectors – including health, protection, shelter and cash assistance. They also strengthen collaboration with existing groups, such as older people’s associations. 
  3. They promote participationOlder people aren’t just recipients of aid – they’re experts in their own experience. AIS make sure older people take part in decision-making, bringing their knowledge to the table so that humanitarian response is better tailored to real needs. 

 

What’s helping – and what’s holding us back 

The research draws on over 70 interviews with UN officials, NGOs, and humanitarian leaders. It shows that the AIS role is a powerful catalyst for change but also highlights challenges that must be addressed. 

What works: 

  • Strong relationships with local and international partners 
  • Alignment with other inclusion priorities (disability, gender, protection) 
  • On-the-ground presence and in-country support for the AIS 

What’s missing: 

  • Long-term funding and leadership support 
  • Clear job profiles and professional development pathways for AIS 
  • Institutional buy-in at the highest levels 

As one humanitarian official said:
“The AIS role is a catalyst, but without broader buy-in, the impact risks fading when they are not around.” 

 

What needs to happen next?

The report makes eight key recommendations to ensure that older people’s inclusion in humanitarian action is not just a one-off success, but a lasting shift in how we respond to crises: 

  1. Establish systems to quickly deploy Age Inclusion Specialists in new emergencies 
  2. Ensure consistent funding for AIS roles in both current and future responses 
  3. Define core competencies for AIS and support their professional growth 
  4. Embed AIS in national response teams and map key partners before disasters strike 
  5. Make older age inclusion a requirement for humanitarian funding 
  6. Push for joint advocacy across agencies to secure pooled funding for inclusion 
  7. Tailor technical support and guidance to each sector’s needs – moving beyond general messaging 
  8. Ensure older people’s voices are heard at the top by including AIS or representatives in leadership meetings and guidance-setting bodies. 

A turning point for humanitarian action

The Age Inclusion Specialists have shown what’s possible when older people are finally part of the conversation. They’ve helped shift the mindset from “one-size-fits-all” to “no one left behind.” 

But this shift must now be scaled and sustained.

Having Age Inclusion Specialists in place is changing how the humanitarian system understands and responds to the needs of older people. They’re not just raising awareness - they’re making sure older people’s specific needs and capacities are recognised and addressed. We’re seeing real progress: people are no longer being left without essential medication, and they now have a voice and the power to express what they need. That’s a crucial part of restoring their dignity and agency. Their presence doesn’t just improve responses - it reinforces a fundamental truth: older people have a right to be included, and the humanitarian system has a responsibility to ensure that happens.

Rhea Tariq, Director of Global Impact at HelpAge

Let’s build a future where every response includes everyone. That starts by recognising the strength, wisdom, and needs of older people – not just in times of peace, but in the most urgent moments of crisis.  

 

Read more about how HelpAge International responds to humanitarian crises around the world.