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In disaster response and rehabilitation programme one of the least prioritized groups for support is elderly survivors. In humanitarian responses the budgets spent for the elderly are quite meager and they become a silent victim with trauma, losses, injuries, insecurities, and inabilities. In India, while there is a lack of basic social security and protection measures, the elderly survivors become exposed to multiple challenging issues due to disasters. With several functional disabilities, ailment, and pre-existing social vulnerabilities, the disaster experiences make them double victims of the situation. Based on the author's experiences of working in disasters in India a longitudinal observational study is presented using a community-based participatory research approach with some case studies conducted, information collected through a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Changes were tracked over time to develop a comprehensive understanding of the vulnerabilities and needs of the elderly survivors. In various disasters like earthquakes, communal riots, Tsunami, cloud blast, civil unrest, or terrorist attack, many elderly survivors were forced to presume parenting for grandchildren, reinitiate livelihood venture, or such daily life responsibilities with their personal geriatric issues and trauma of multiple irrecoverable losses. Elderly members often face abuse and neglect within the family during and in post-disaster situation. Some of the successful community-based rehabilitation models that have helped the elderly men and women to reintegrate with the social and community life are highlighted to explore the key learning for practice. The recent pandemic (COVID-19) has pushed the elderly population to a severely threatening situation. There are a few international commitments, policy documents about specific disaster response for elderly survivors, yet India lacks a specific guideline for the elderly survivors that could highlight, geriatric well-being, socio-economic support, rehabilitation, and recovery strategies in short and long-term to guarantee successful 'active ageing'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This article explores the various psychosocial problems that children and adolescents experienced due to communal violence in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002. Five strategies were adapted to provide support and care to the children and adolescents in the relief camps as well as in the community during the rehabilitation phase. Community volunteers were used in the program to facilitate psychosocial healing by using different mediums of expression. Each medium encouraged the expression of thoughts and feelings caused by the trauma and the building of hope for the future. Various community-oriented peace-building measures, which are explained and outlined, were adapted to build trusting inter-community relationships. The peace-building measures focused on rebuilding a nurturing environment by re-establishing community networks and social support systems. Life skills education was one of the approaches adopted for fostering psychosocial development among the children in order to restore peaceful cohabitation for a future based on mutual respect and acceptance. Ultimately, in disaster rehabilitation, rebuilding one's 'sense of place' through holistic psychosocial support has been highlighted as a model for practice. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]