Afghanistan: The elderly

Afghanistan is the worst place to be if you are old., according to the index on quality of life. The index measures four areas – income security, health, personal capability and whether the person lives in an “enabling environment”. The report predicts that by 2050, 21% of the global population will be over 60.

Many are forced to work long into their old age in Afghanistan because there are few resources for the elderly, with the state pension for those who have worked for the state less than $10 per month. The impact of years of war and turmoil are impacting the extended families ability to care for the elderly. This means many must work in order to simply survive.

Watch this short video to see the struggles for the elderly.

A 2012 report showed that girls under five and the elderly were the most food-insecure in the country.

Pray for:

• Compassion for the elderly
• for those left alone because of death and fleeing of family
• for government and NGO’s to provide care for the elderly
• for God to reveal himself to the elderly and Christians with compassion to care for them