HELPAGE International has announced that it will, starting in this month, spend US$1 million to aid the elderly in Yangon and Ayeyarwady divisions.

The NGO’s regional communications officer, Ms Tai-Chattip Soralump, said there are many older people in storm-affected areas whose needs are not being met.

“It was estimated that 208,000 people over 55 years of age were affected by the cyclone,” said Ms Soralump.

“One week after Cyclone Nargis, our emergency response team came to Myanmar to conduct an assessment, develop action plans for relief programs and distribute food and non-food items to cyclone-affected people,” she added Help Age International will run a three-year humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation program aimed at older people, she said.

“Firstly, we will provide assistance to the Department of Social Welfare on the preparation of a national ageing plan. Secondly, we will implement shelter and livelihoods activities that will include income generation and the formation of self-help groups. Finally, we will also provide assistance to our local partners to boost their capacities,” she said.

The organisation is already repairing houses and building water tanks and latrines in the delta.

Ms Soralump said the organisation would also work to provide food security and healthcare for older people, as well as raise awareness of the needs of older people and the potential they have to contribute to their households and communities.

“In a few years, one out of five citizens in Myanmar will be over 60 years of age,” he claimed. “This 20 percent represents a huge resource of knowledge, experience and wisdom that can become a very useful tool in development. We believe that supporting older people is an invaluable investment of time and resources.

“Older people can also be a valuable resource. With their experience, coping strategies and traditional skills they can play a significant role in helping communities recover. Their contribution should be recognised and supported,” she said.

However, she said older people face specific challenges in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and these must be addressed if a successful recovery and rehabilitation process is to take place, says a HelpAge study released last week.

The detailed assessment conducted by the charity in three townships affected by the cyclone revealed that although relief work is ongoing, more than 90 percent of older people say there has been no specific attention paid to their needs.

Targeting older people as a vulnerable group, and addressing the specific challenges they face, is vital. These challenges include difficulty in reaching aid distribution points, problems carrying relief goods and special medical and nutritional needs that often go unrecognised.

The study shows that prior to Cyclone Nargis, 30pc of older people did not suffer from significant illnesses. This proportion decreased to only 2pc after the cyclone.

The main problems older people cited in order of priority were: Healthcare, food aid, shelter, home care, nutrition, economic security and psychological support.

“HelpAge International is urging all agencies and organisations involved in the relief effort to recognise older people’s needs in their response and involve them in developing long-term rehabilitation programs,” said Ms Gloria Hutabarat, the organisation’s Yangon-based public relations officer.

Godfred Paul, HelpAge’s senior regional program manager, said: “The ASEAN assessment report said little about the needs of vulnerable groups, including older people, yet this information is vital in informing an effective long-term response.

“Our assessment aimed to determine the situation of older people three months after the cyclone and the results indicate that they are still not accessing the type of relief they need.

“Over the coming months we will be implementing a program targeting older people with food, shelter, healthcare and household goods,” he added.

HelpAge International and HelpAge Korea, in partnership with YMCA, have been working in Myanmar for four years to support a community-based home care program for poor older people.