WHAT HAPPENED TO ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE GR EAT HANSHIN EARTHQUAKE

The great Hanshin earthquake on 17 January 1995 hit the elderly popula tion of an urban society particularly hard. More than half of the fata lities were among those over 60 years old, and in this age group femal e fatalities were almost double those of men. Surviving elderly people were largely left to their own devices and became relegated to the ma rginal space in shelters. Elderly people tended not to proclaim their problems, and so their suffering tended to be underestimated. Again, a s survivors rebuilt their homes and moved back, elderly people and oth er vulnerable groups tended to be left behind in temporary accommodati on. This tragedy has shown that special attention and continuous care is necessary for elderly and vulnerable people after such disasters.