Introduction:
This protection brief focuses on the heightened risks older persons face as a result of ongoing hostilities in Gaza. Older people have had essential roles in Gaza— leading communities, caring for relatives, and helping sustain collective memory. Limited mobility, chronic health conditions, and the collapse of health and support systems on which they previously depended all contribute to their vulnerability during the conflict, while frequent forced displacement, chronic shortages of food and clean water, and overcrowded and unhygienic living conditions further exacerbate the risks they face. The sheer scale of the crisis in Gaza has often masked their specific vulnerabilities and needs. Only a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access can improve protection for civilians in Gaza, including older persons.
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Recommended Actions:
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has had a disproportionate impact on older persons who face acute and often overlooked protection risks. The rights of older persons to dignity and adequate care must be recognized and upheld. This includes prioritizing the dignity, safety, and well-being of older people as part of any emergency response. Meaningful inclusion of older people is not optional—it is an imperative grounded in the international community’s obligations to protect, promote and respect human rights. Neglecting their needs and ignoring their voices not only intensifies their suffering but constitutes a broader failure to uphold the rights and dignity of all individuals affected by conflict.
All parties to the conflict in Gaza must uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law to protect older persons. Only a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Gaza can guarantee sustainable protection for older persons. As a priority, Israel must allow UNRWA and other agencies, to resume and/or significantly scale up humanitarian operations in Gaza, and ensure displaced populations, including older persons, have access to the basic means for human survival. Civilian objects must be protected at all times, including UN facilities where displaced populations, among them older people, have sought shelter, and basic services must be restored to save lives, including water and electricity distribution. Border crossings must be opened to allow for humanitarian and commercial goods to enter Gaza in sufficient quantity, and humanitarian agencies must be able to reach older persons in a safe, unimpeded and sustainable manner no matter where they are located in Gaza. Access to medicines and assistive devices on which older persons rely must be among the items prioritized.
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Title : Protection Brief―The Situation of Older Persons in Gaza
Publication : UNRWA, 2025 June (10 pages)