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3 years on from Japan's tsunami: Older people and the impact of displacement
A new report published by HelpAge International and the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing analyses the short and long-term impact of natural disaster on older people, reports Vatican Radio.
The report emphasizes the importance of preparedness in reducing unnecessary deaths and suffering in disasters, particularly among older people and the more vulnerable members of society.
In addition to promoting specific measures to protect older people from future disasters – in Japan and elsewhere – the report highlights the fact that the knowledge of past disasters and the life experience of older people are a huge resource as communities recover and move forward.
Eduardo Klien, HelpAge Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific told the Vatican Radio that older people must not be considered a problem, they can represent a huge resource as they are mobilised in a variety of roles when recovery and reconstruction become operative. In general - he added - they are a resource not only of wisdom but also of practical skills. "That has to be considered in the humanitarian world in future responses to disasters".
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