Focus was on the elderly recently when the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in collaboration with UNICEF hosted a developmental interactive seminar to commemorate International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR).
In keeping with the theme for the day ‘Older Persons and Disasters: Resilience for Life’, the forum was designed to provide for the sharing of approaches and methodologies between the elderly and the youths to identify strategies for disaster reduction risk through which it is hoped a significant portion of the population will be resilient to the vulnerability of disasters, a GINA release said.
The programme was held at the Ocean View Convention Centre and delivering the keynote address, CDC Director Chabilall Ramsarup said serious effort must be made to promote more partnerships with older people in disaster risk reduction. He said government, companies and communities must partner in the decision-making process in building disaster resilient communities.
According to GINA, it was for that reason, Ramsarup said, that an experimental learning platform between the elderly and the younger generation was mounted. The elderly suffer disproportionately during disaster, Ramsarup said and statistics show 80% of persons over age 60 living in developing nations affected by poverty and living in high risk areas would be unable to flee disasters.
UNICEF Representative Marianne Flach noted that it was essential in preparing and responding to emergencies, consideration be given to basic needs, human rights, gender equality, the needs of children and the elderly. More important, she mentioned for the first time in recorded history, the approximately 11% of the world’s population over 60 years is estimated to exceed the number of children under 10 years and as such planning must include and build on the elderly’s knowledge and resilience to avoid preventable suffering, GINA stated.
Senior Probation and Social Services Officer Aggrey Azore, GINA said, told those present, the elderly should be given a chance to articulate their needs, positions and make valuable contributions that could have consequential effects on their lives and in so doing, create one of the best disaster reduction protocols.
The programme panellists included Executive Director of Conser-vation International, Dr David Singh, St Margaret grade 5 student Victoryne Mohabir, Jeanette Jordan, member of the National Commission on Disability, university student Ajay Persaud and Administrator of the National Veterans’ Home Rose Archer each of whom made presentations, GINA said.
