Help Age Canada

Older people in Harm’s Way

HelpAge Canada's Conflicts and Disasters program is dedicated to delivering relief to the world's most forgotten group of victims: Older people.

Older people face widespread discrimination in disaster and conflict relief efforts. They are often shoved out of food lines. Their reduced mobility means they can't escape the dangers that the battlefield and Mother Nature sends their way. They are seldom considered priorities when it comes to rebuilding homes, or lives.

That's where we come in. Our programs are tailored to deliver assistance to older people exclusively in the wake of conflicts.

Natural Disasters

In Haiti, we're working to make sure that older persons receive medical treatment to help them recover. We send trained physiotherapists like Michel Noel De Tilly, who is providing treatment to Haitians injured in January's earthquake. He's also working to train Haitian medical workers in physiotherapy. HelpAge Canada is working to make sure Haiti's older people are not forgotten.

Conflicts

In Congo, we're helping older victims of sexual violence recover their dignity, and rebuild their lives by supporting local groups like Action D'espoir and SOFEPADI. Action D'Espoir and SOFEPADI work in North and South Kivu, provinces hard hit by decades of civil war. They risk their lives every day to heal older people's psychological wounds. You can read about our Executive Director's trip to meet these heroic groups by clicking here.

We're taking steps to make sure older people aren't forgotten in times of crisis and natural disasters, but we need your help. Help us make a difference in the life of an older person.

Donate now.