Age International receives £0.5m from Government

Age International, a subsidiary of Age UK, has been pledged £500,000 from The Department for International Development (DFID) to help with providing aid to older people in the Philippines.

The money will go towards helping older people to recover from the destruction and devastation they are facing as a result of Typhoon Haiyan.

How many older people have been affected?

Of the 9.5 million people estimated to be affected by the Typhoon, 1.3 million are aged 50 or over. Among the displaced, 85,000 are over 50.

60,000 of the people in evacuation shelters are also over 50.

How is Age International helping?

Age International is working through their overseas implementing partner HelpAge International and the Coalition of Services for the Elderly (COSE).

They have already started providing food, shelter and essentials to older people affected by the disaster.

But the funding from the Government will help to provide:

• 1,000 households with cash and/or building materials to help them rebuild their homes
• 10,000 households with food and essential non-food items like mosquito nets and flashlights
• Help desks for older people in 16 evacuation centres to ensure they know what assistance is available to them
• Training in psycho-social support for 37 older people's organisations (OPOs) to help 3,000 older people to overcome the trauma of the disaster

The aid response will later turn towards long-term rehabilitation programmes, such as setting up Older People's Associations.

‘The UK Government has been incredibly generous'

Chris Roles, Director of Age International, commented:
‘This funding will be hugely beneficial for older people in the Philippines. We know from previous disasters that older people are disproportionately affected - but their needs are routinely overlooked by humanitarian agencies and donors.

‘The UK Government has been incredibly generous with this pledge and we are tremendously grateful. With this money, DFID is ensuring that no-one is left behind.'

Age International is connected to hundreds of charities and organisations working for older people around the world, and by working together, Age International, HelpAge and Age UK are able to help older people in the most efficient way possible.

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