The resettlement of and medical assistance for such survivors at the same time constitutes a concrete manifestation that the international community does not tolerate torture and that measures are taken to limit, if not compensate, the serious impact of severe human rights violations on those who suffered them. Elderly refugees may be particularly vulnerable when confronted with the causes and effects of becoming a refugee. Some may have been separated from family, friends or community during their flight, or have witnessed the killing of family members. The physical hardship of exile may well take its toll on the elderly, who, if already frail, may not have the strength to ward off disease and illness. The stresses of being forced to flee and then having to adapt in a new environment during the first stages of exile, particularly for those without the support of family, place untold demands on the coping ability of many elderly refugees.
Older people are more likely to be givers than receivers of aid.
The tragedy of older people who have been forcibly displaced is not so much that they become dependent on others, but that they have been robbed of the means to provide for others in the manner they would wish. In seeking durable solutions for elderly refugees, the international community should ensure that the tragedy of their exile is not compounded by an old age marked by neglect. In the context of resettlement, this is particularly relevant with regard to attempts to reunite elderly refugees with their families. While older refugees should benefit from family care and protection, in turn, the presence of elderly members will often greatly assist refugee families in their integration efforts. The international community should make the forthcoming International Year of Older Persons an opportunity to address the issue of family reunification for elderly dependants as a matter of principle and promote family reunification between adult refugees and their dependent parents as a basic right.