The UNHCR has issued a statement welcoming steps in addressing mental health problems among refugees and displaced people. It stressed that a lot more still has to be done to assist people fleeing war and persecution.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said it is concerned that deteriorating socio-economic circumstances linked with rising food insecurity issues in various refugee hosting countries could increase existing pressures on refugees, especially when it comes to mental health matters.
"The best way to improve the mental health of refugees is to find lasting solutions to the crises they are fleeing," Sajjad Malik, Director for the UNHCR Division of Resilience and Solutions, said in a press release.
"We know that the experience of displacement takes a huge toll on emotional and social well-being and it is the right of every refugee to be able to access appropriate care and support."
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Study: depression higher among displaced people
The UNHCR said in a report that while "strides are being made to improve access to psychosocial support," refugees are nevertheless exposed to stress at every stage of their displacement.
It highlighted that a recent survey conducted by UNHCR and the World Bank in Uganda had found that rates of depression among refugees were markedly higher than among people living in host communities. Pressures that inform such strains on mental health include "separation from families, xenophobia, lack of livelihood opportunities, perilous journeys and exposure to conflict and persecution," the agency added.
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In a series of tweets, the UNHCR meanwhile also highlighted the work and lives of people working at the frontline of assisting refugees with mental health and psychological help.
Recognizing the pain refugees suffer routinely
The UNHCR Executive Committee stressed that against this backdrop, refugees still demonstrate great resilience in the face of life-altering circumstances; the UN body adopted a conclusion acknowledging the mental fortitude of forcibly displaced people, while urging increased availability of "mental health and psychosocial support services to refugees and other displaced and stateless people."
Malik said that he felt "encouraged" by the commitment of governments to prioritize mental health and psychosocial support in the response to displacement.
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with UNHCR