Overlooked and underserved: older adults in humanitarian contexts

Although not every older person is equally at risk, older people are among those most affected by humanitarian crises. Despite long-standing calls for more inclusive humanitarian action, older populations continue to be overlooked in preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. This Series paper critically examines the current policy landscape of humanitarian health care in relation to older populations and highlights a persistent gap between rhetoric and implementation. Additionally, factors contributing to the exclusion of older adults are documented, with factors operating at the institutional, interpersonal, and individual levels. These factors range from self-directed ageism and interpersonal neglect to systemic failures such as insufficient data, policy gaps, and service designs that fail to address the specific needs and rights of older adults. Drawing on available evidence, the paper also presents the severe consequences of the neglect of older populations, including avoidable deaths, worsening health outcomes, and increased care dependence. This Series paper calls for urgent action to ensure that older populations are meaningfully included in humanitarian action and serves as the foundation for the remaining papers in this Series.