“The best way to improve the mental health of refugees is to find lasting solutions to the crises they flee from,” UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed steps in addressing mental health problems among refugees and displaced people, stressing that much remains to be done to help people fleeing war and persecution. .
In a statement, UNHCR said it was concerned that the deteriorating socio-economic conditions associated with the growing problems of food insecurity in various refugee-hosting countries might add to the current pressures on refugees, particularly when it comes to mental health issues.
UNHCR Director of Resilience and Solutions Sajjad Malik said in a press release: “The best way to improve the mental health of refugees is to find durable solutions to the crises they are fleeing from. We know that the experience of displacement has a significant impact on emotional and social well-being, and every refugee has the right to be able to access receive appropriate care and support.
Depression is higher among the displaced
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said in a report that while “significant strides are being made to improve access to psychosocial support”, refugees are nevertheless under pressure at every stage of their displacement.
Highlighting a recent UNHCR and World Bank survey in Uganda that found rates of depression among displaced people to be significantly higher than among people living in host communities, the agency added that stressors affecting such mental health include “separation from families, hatred foreigners, lack of livelihood opportunities, perilous journeys, exposure to conflict and persecution.”
In a series of tweets, UNHCR has meanwhile highlighted the work and lives of people working on the front lines of mental health and psychological assistance for refugees.
“There is no health without mental health”
Dr. Al-Shuraimi is a psychiatrist in Libya
Helps refugees and asylum seekers deal with mental health challenges
Which increased due to the epidemic and the recent security campaigns.”
Routine recognition of refugee pain
The UNHCR Executive Committee stressed that once morest this backdrop, refugees continue to demonstrate great resilience in the face of life-altering circumstances; The UN has adopted a conclusion recognizing the mental stability of forcibly displaced people, while urging an increase in the availability of “mental health and psychosocial support services for refugees, other displaced and stateless persons”.
Malik said he was “encouraged” by the commitment of governments to prioritize mental health and psychosocial support in response to displacement.
