Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reach older people with targeted humanitarian and social protection support and (b) ensure data on humanitarian and social protection is (i) age-disaggregated and (ii) inclusive of older people.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK works to ensure that all humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable, including those who are vulnerable because of their age. FCDO works with governments and partners to strengthen and expand inclusive social protection systems to reach more vulnerable people, including older people.
The FCDO is signed up to and provides a leading role as a co-facilitator of the Inclusive Data Charter which commits the FCDO to collecting data disaggregated by gender, disability, age and geography where possible. We currently do not have comprehensive age disaggregated data at an aggregate level but continue to work with partners to collect more disaggregated data, including on age, in a standardised way.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that an inclusive approach, which includes older people, to humanitarian responses will continue to be one of the priorities of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is committed to ensuring that our assistance reaches the most marginalised and vulnerable people who will be the worst affected by humanitarian crises and most at risk. This includes older people as well as other marginalised groups, such as women and girls, and people with disabilities.
We are deeply concerned about the significant impact of COVID-19 on older people, people with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. Through £50 million of support to over 29 countries, UK aid is helping to meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including older people, through effective communication about personal hygiene, particularly the importance of handwashing. DFID is also engaging internationally to push for greater consideration of vulnerable groups, including older people, across the COVID-19 response.
Support for the most marginalised and vulnerable populations remains part of this government’s mission. We will continue to prioritise those furthest left behind and champion the inclusion of vulnerable groups in our humanitarian responses.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to concentrate their international response to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries on those who are 60 years old and above.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people, people with disabilities, people with pre-existing conditions, and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted and at more serious risk of severe complications and fatality due to COVID-19. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthening fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high chance of the disease spreading rapidly.
This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
In order to reduce transmission, the UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global hygiene programme. This campaign will be tailored to communities to ensure messages are inclusive and effective. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure that people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes to be more responsive to COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that older people in low- and middle-income countries have access to the information they need to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people are disproportionately impacted and at more risk of severe complications and death due to COVID-19. As well as the immediate risk of catching COVID-19, marginalised groups also experience secondary impacts of the virus. This includes reduced access to healthcare services and information, which is further compounded by existing accessibility barriers.
For example, healthcare information is not routinely distributed in accessible formats. Older people with visual impairments will need access to large print documentation, or may need other alternative communication methods that fit best with their needs. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthen fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high risk of the disease spreading rapidly. This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
To help reduce transmission and inform the public, the UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global hygiene programme. This campaign will be tailored to communities to ensure messages are inclusive and effective. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure that people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes ensure responses to COVID-19 are fully inclusive, including supporting the needs of older people.
Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their international response to COVID-19 explicitly supports the health needs of older people in low- and middle-income countries.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people are disproportionately impacted and at more risk of severe complications and death due to COVID-19.
As well as the primary impacts of COVID-19, marginalised groups also experience secondary impacts of virus. This includes reduced access to healthcare, food and medications, due to increased pressure on healthcare systems, markets and supply chains, made worse by pre-existing accessibility challenges and barriers. We also understand that older people live in a variety of settings where social distancing advice may be challenging to enact, such as humanitarian settings or where older people are living in residential care. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthen fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high risk of the disease spreading rapidly. This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes ensure responses to COVID-19 are fully inclusive, including supporting the needs of older people.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage (1) UN agencies, (2) partner governments, and (3) development actors, to prioritise the needs of older people most at risk from COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that older people, people with pre-existing conditions, people with disabilities and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted, and at more serious risk of severe complications, due to COVID-19. The UK has so far pledged £544 million of aid to tackle this global pandemic.
This includes support to UN agencies such as Unicef, the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Our support will enable humanitarian actors to work with in-country governments and other stakeholders to plan an inclusive response to the crisis, one which takes into account the needs of older people, women and girls and people with disabilities.
We have also developed specific practical guidance to ensure our country offices around the world, working closely with partner governments, prioritise the needs of vulnerable groups, including older people. We are also working with actors across the development sector to ensure inclusion is built into the response from the very start. The pandemic is fast-moving, but we are committed to supporting the UN system, partner countries and the wider development community to reach those most vulnerable.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the work of the World Health Organisation prioritises the health needs of older people in lower- and middle-income countries as part of its response to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that older people, people with disabilities, people with pre-existing conditions, and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted and at more serious risk of severe complications and fatality due to COVID-19. The UK is at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19 and has, to date, committed up to £544 million of aid to tackle this global pandemic.
As part of this, the UK is providing £10 million to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Emergency Flash Appeal. We are working with all of our humanitarian partners to ensure that the most vulnerable, including older people and people with disabilities are reached and supported.
Our funding to the WHO is supporting countries to prepare for and respond to COVID-19. This includes through its Operational Planning Guidelines on public health measures, which outline specific considerations to be given to particularly marginalised groups, including older people. The WHO has also published specific tailored guidance on people with disabilities.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to support older people in conflict zones throughout the world.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Government recognises that older people experience a range of complex barriers to access and are often excluded from humanitarian responses, including those conducted in conflict zones. The UK is firmly committed to ensuring aid reaches the most marginalised and vulnerable, including older people, in conflict and humanitarian crises.
Without high quality disaggregated data, designing and delivering effective programmes and responses that are inclusive of older people is almost impossible. That’s why DFID was one of the first organisations to adopt the Inclusive Data Charter. In March 2019, we published an Action Plan laying out the next steps we will take to better understand the situation of the poorest and most marginalised in all contexts and make decisions that positively impact the lives of people at all ages.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the needs of vulnerable elderly people in humanitarian emergencies such as those currently trapped in Aleppo and other besieged Syrian cities, and the 1.65 million older people in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Bates
When carrying out humanitarian assessments and responding to humanitarian needs, DFID and our partners take into account the specific needs of those who may be more vulnerable, including the elderly.
In Syria mitigating diseases that are common amongst the elderly is a priority. DFID is providing flu vaccines and support for the treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure. This is part of the £717million DFID is providing to support vulnerable people inside Syria. In Aleppo and other besieged areas, DFID funded partners are providing food, clean water, shelter and healthcare to meet the needs of vulnerable Syrians, including the elderly, where access is possible.
In Yemen, DFID is providing £100million this financial year in humanitarian aid to support vulnerable Yeminis, including the elderly. This will be delivered through partners such as the UN and NGOs, and includes food, medical supplies, water, healthcare and nutritional supplies.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the humanitarian response in Haiti reflects the needs of older people affected by Hurricane Matthew.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK is committing up to £8 million of initial support to help thousands of people in Haiti affected by Hurricane Matthew.
In Haiti the UK is working closely with other international donors, the United Nations, NGOs and the Government of Haiti to establish the extent of the damage and the most pressing humanitarian needs following Hurricane Matthew. Our response is targeted to those most in need, taking account of vulnerable groups including older people. DFID is getting aid to where it is needed most, and relief items from the UK are being distributed in the worst affected areas of Haiti.