INDIA : Many elderly have been affected by the tsunima

Angammal, aged 60, lives in coastal Chennai, southern India. When the tsunami struck, her 100-year-old partially blind mother, Aisha Bee, was swept away from her home. Astonishingly, she returned safely once the water receded.   ;   The story of Angammal’s mother is exceptional. Of those dead or missing in India, close to 30% are estimated to be older people, many of whom are especially vulnerable because of poor mobility.   ;   HelpAge India estimates that over half a million older people in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu have been affected by the catastrophe. Many of them are virtually destitute. Others have lost relatives, homes and belongings, and their means of livelihood.   ;   Reaching older people   ;   In a series of relief distributions across the affected areas, HelpAge India has been distributing food,   cooking oil, blankets, lanterns and stoves, clothing and bedding, and other provisions to older people and their families.   ;   HelpAge India aims to reach 6,000 families of older people with immediate relief by mid-January. They are also assessing the rehabilitation needs of older people.   ;   Older people’s vulnerability   ;   Older people are often