Healing the Hidden Wounds of Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia | Doctors Without Borders



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Need for Mental Health

Many other Eritreans have experienced similar hardships. Their experiences can have both physical and psychological consequences, and mental health problems are often much more complex to identify and treat. In order to provide more comprehensive health care to refugees, MSF launched a mental health project in 2015 for the Hitsats and Shimelba camps. With about 2,300 newcomers monthly, refugee camps in northern Ethiopia are one of the first destinations for Eritreans leaving their country.

Robel Araya, MSF supervisor in the Hitsats camp, is very familiar with the situation of Eritrean refugees. 19659003] "Most of the people we see in the camps have had traumatic experiences, leaving Eritrea is dangerous, and some of them have tried many times before they succeed. anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder related to torture, violence and abuse, these conditions have a very negative effect on their lives Our mental health services can help them get back on their feet " , he explains.

MSF offers counseling, psychiatric care to in-patients and outpatients and a wide range of therapeutic activities where patients can discuss their problems and receive detailed information on their conditions. and how to overcome them Realizing that other people have similar problems helps them feel less isolated.

As in most humanitarian situations, children are among the most vulnerable groups.

"About 40% of the population is under 18. Traveling alone or separated from their families, their situation is very delicate, they tend to suffer from separation anxiety, and in some cases, they have had difficult or confusing early badual experiences, and here we have activities specifically designed for them, such as sports, drawing and drama sessions, as well as specialized counseling, "says Robel Araya.

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