Syria and the Cyclical Nature of Trauma
In an article released by "The National," a Saudi Arabian publication, an attempt to heal children in refugee camps gave major insight into the decrepit state of mental, emotional, and physical well-being among so many -- after what we might like to deem the most traumatic parts of their recent pasts.
According to the piece, "three-quarters of those in Jordan have severe emotional disorders while in Turkey, 40 per cent of patients suffered from bouts of epilepsy. In Lebanon and Turkey, one in six refugees suffer from psychotic disorders." Considering the 2.5 million total displaced children in the region, these statistics are not negligible fractions -- they represent hundreds of thousands of disabled children who lack proper access to medical and psychological care.
These outcomes from the trauma of violence, loss, and war do not exist in isolation, either. So many of these ailments are worsened by the environment that refugee camps create: "aid workers say the conditions in refugee camps, where there is little privacy and jobs and money are scarce, are exacerbating such conditions."
Considering the difficulty in even providing adequate space within refugee camps to those in need, how can and should the international community address the shortcomings of its current solutions for residential crisis management and food scarcity? Can we even call these 'solutions' when they are one of the main reason for continued damage to the well-being of refugees?
According to the piece, "three-quarters of those in Jordan have severe emotional disorders while in Turkey, 40 per cent of patients suffered from bouts of epilepsy. In Lebanon and Turkey, one in six refugees suffer from psychotic disorders." Considering the 2.5 million total displaced children in the region, these statistics are not negligible fractions -- they represent hundreds of thousands of disabled children who lack proper access to medical and psychological care.
These outcomes from the trauma of violence, loss, and war do not exist in isolation, either. So many of these ailments are worsened by the environment that refugee camps create: "aid workers say the conditions in refugee camps, where there is little privacy and jobs and money are scarce, are exacerbating such conditions."
Considering the difficulty in even providing adequate space within refugee camps to those in need, how can and should the international community address the shortcomings of its current solutions for residential crisis management and food scarcity? Can we even call these 'solutions' when they are one of the main reason for continued damage to the well-being of refugees?
Peru finds it necessary that the international community assesses their past actions to try and form better solutions. In the past, the international community has invested billions of dollars into local communities to create small food businesses (bakeries, supermarkets, etc.) to increase the amount of careers and food. However, these people are lacking the humanitarian aid that is necessary to move forward in creating businesses, school, food, and clean water. As of January - February 2019, there have been many winter storms that have been creating floods and ruining homes, shelter, and farms. It is imperative that we address this in committee and discuss how we can bring humanitarian aid and the tools that these people need. Hopefully, new shelter, food, water, farms, moral support, and community can help these people who desperately need international attention.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteBelgium agrees with Peru in that it is vital to reassess the impact of current action and aid in refugee camps in order to develop more efficient solutions. We believe that in order to improve mental health in these camps, refugees must have a stable and safe environment conducive to recovery. By analyzing international expenses in humanitarian aid, we hope that the global community will be able to redirect their funds towards better refugee camp management, which will naturally improve the mental states of the refugees residing there. We hope to address this in committee later this week, and we look forward to collaborating with you all!
Thank you for your time!