Flood waters in Bangladesh are receding after the worst floods for six years covered more than half the country in July, but the devastation continues. More than three million homes have been destroyed and a million hectares of rice have been lost. About a quarter of a million people are still living in temporary accommodation such as schools and community centres. Contaminated water supplies pose a continuing risk to public health. Loss of crops and jobs means that the country will need food aid until December. Older people are among the worst affected, especially those with poor mobility, lack of family support and little income. Many remained stranded at home, unable to escape the floods. Older people are not generally targeted by relief organisations. Reaching older people HelpAge International’s partners, Resource Integration Centre (RIC) and the Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition moved quickly to provide food, essential household items and health services to poor older people and their families. RIC, a Dhaka-based NGO with experience of providing emergency relief in the 1988 and 1998 floods, assessed older people’s needs and organised support in the badly-affected Gazipur and Narsingdi districts. Older men and women interviewed by RIC talked of their frustration at
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