Helping Older Refugees in Conflict-Induced Disaster:

Insight From Helpage International Experience With Somali And South Sudanese Refugees In Dollo Ado And Gambella Regions Respectively

By Dr Bayou Aberra (Emergency Response and DRR Manager, HelpAge International)

October 13, 2014, Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa

In this Presentation

Background Context of Refugees & the project areas State of Older refugees Insights/Findings from project practices Concluding remarks

The Context

Ethiopia is hosting over 500,000 refugees from different countries mainly Somalia, South Sudan, Eretria, Sudan (UNHCR refugee update, September 19, 2014 )

The natural and man made disasters are the causes for people to seek asylum to Ethiopia

In 2011 following the La Lina drought and the conflict in Somalia the influx of Somalia refugees became very high in in Dolo Ado

As of June 2014, there were about 240,000 Somali refugees in Dolo Ado refugee camps of which 2 per cent is older refugees

Context cont.

They were hosted in five refugee camps.

South Sudan - Since the out broke of the conflict in mid Dec 2013, over 188,875 South Sudanese entered to Gambella region of Ethiopia hosted in four camps.

It is estimated that over 3,500 people were older refugees over 60+ age.

Map showing Dolo

Map of Intervention Areas

Gambella Regional State Somali Regional State

What were the challenges faced in relation to older refugees

Participatory needs assessment was not conducted that included the analyse of the vulnerability, capacity and risk of older people faced

Special needs of older refugees were not sufficiently recognised

What were challenges cont.

No specific older people friendly programs ( no mainstreaming of OP issues by humanitarian actors)- the health service, food, NFI needs, psychosocial support

Further deterioration of quality of life of older refugees due isolation and immobility

How did HelpAge and other Partners support older refugees HelpAge developed a guide on Helping Older People in

Emergencies (HOPE) to help all actors mainstream their planning & implementation approach across the needs and the right of older people

How did HelpAge cont.

• Conducted need assessment and identified older people specific needs – health, food, non food items (NFIs), psychosocial support

HelpAge Support cont.

Implemented humanitarian action addressing specific need of older people – such as older people friendly food types/nutrition, heath ( eye care, and referral to heath facilities, provision of non food items)

Advocate/sensitise others – priority to older people in food/NFIs distribution and health care service, older refugees were not waiting long queue rather served first in any distribution

Specific interventions

Dolo Ado- Older people friendly food

distributed – potato, rice and haricot bean

Eye care service – Older refugees with cataract, trachoma and other cases treated and regain visibility

Specific cont.

Gambella

Non Food items ( bed pan, mattress, bed sheet, plastic bucket, jerican, pillow) distributed

Specific cont. Older people friendly food

distribution ( maize flour) Psychosocial support –

delivering palliative care Training of partners on

HOPE

Concluding remarks

Mainstreaming of older refugees need and response across the programs of other actors -

Importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer

role models , resilience and coping for older people- they helped the children and youth refugees to know more about their culture, their past histories and values of peace

Thank your attention.