ReliefWeb

Context

Since the Russian military offensive against Ukraine was launched on the 24th of February, over 8 million people have been displaced. A significant number of those who have fled their homes are older people (60+). While we do not yet know the full scale, according to International Organisation of Migration (IOM), 55% of displaced households contain at least one older person.

Ukraine has the largest percentage of older people affected by conflict in a single country in the world. One quarter of the country’s population are over 60 years old, while in eastern Ukraine one in three of those needing assistance since the Russian invasion in 2014, have been over 60. This makes it the world’s oldest humanitarian crisis.

Many older people in Ukraine face a range of heightened and specific challenges including being more likely to have health conditions and/or disabilities effecting their mobility, as compared to those who are younger. These challenges can be compounded during displacement as there is a greater likelihood of reduced access to their medication and/or the loss of essential items such as glasses and walking frames. However, older people also play an integral role in providing care to others, especially children. In Ukraine this is particularly the case as 64% of families have been separated, exacerbated by many men being conscripted into the army. Older people are often overlooked by the humanitarian sector and there is a risk that this also happens in Ukraine.

To help ensure that HelpAge can implement programming tailored to the specific needs of older people, 569 displaced older adults alongside other displaced adults were interviewed between 6 to 11 May 2022 in the oblasts of Lvivska, Chernivetska in western Ukraine and Dnipropetrovska in central Ukraine.