Realizing Refugees’ Right to Family Unity:The challenges to family reunification in Norway, Sweden and Denmark
Policies regarding family reunification have become increasingly strict over the last years, especially after the influx of asylum applications that all Scandinavian countries received in the summer and autumn of 2015. Shortly after, the number of asylum applications rapidly decreased, while the number of family reunification applications have continued to increase in recent years. The report, commissioned by UNHCR, is a comparative legal study of the legal framework, policies and practice pertaining to the family reunification procedure in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
https://www.noas.no/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Realizing_Refugees_Right_to_Family_Unity.pdf
ICT-based Psycho-Social Trauma Relief in Refugee Camps in Ethiopia
This research into testing the delivery Self-Help Low Cost Post Traumatic Stress (SHCLCPTS) on ICT will look at the workable elements of the trauma-healing program. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities of delivering the program via ICT reflecting the high mobility of the population in question. This was carried out in refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Mental Health Among Displaced People and Refugees: Making the Case for Action at The World Bank Group
“Forcibly displaced people’s mental health needs have often been neglected in response plans. Yet meeting these needs is critical to help displaced persons overcome trauma and rebuild their lives. Without appropriate mental health care, forcibly displaced people will often be unable to benefit fully from other forms of support that are provided to them. […] A shared commitment is needed from national and international actors to champion mental health parity in the provision of health and social services, including in humanitarian emergencies. High priority should go to identifying alternative sources of financing for mental health parity in health systems.”
https://www.mhinnovation.net/sites/default/files/downloads/resource/WBG_Web_MHDP_2017.pdf
Guided self-help intervention reduces refugees’ psychological distress and improves wellbeing in humanitarian crises
| Guided self-help intervention reduces refugees’ psychological distress and improves wellbeing in humanitarian crises “First randomised trial of its kind finds multimedia guided self-help intervention can be delivered rapidly to large numbers of people in low-resource humanitarian settings by non-specialists with minimal training. […] The study is the first randomised trial of a guided self-help group intervention in a low-resource humanitarian setting. Although longer follow-up is needed to determine the long-term effects of the intervention, the authors say that guided self-help could be a promising first-line strategy to address the vast gap in mental health support in areas where humanitarian access is difficult, such as South Sudan and Syria. |
Where There Is No Psychiatrist. A Mental Health Care Manual.
Where There Is No Psychiatrist – A Mental Health Care Manual. Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018
“This practical manual of mental health care is vital for community health workers, primary care nurses, social workers and primary care doctors, particularly in low-resource settings. This guide gives the reader a basic understanding of mental illness by describing more than thirty clinical problems associated with mental illness and uses a problem-solving approach to guide the reader through their assessment and management. Mental health issues as they arise in specific contexts are described – in refugee camps, in school health programmes, as well as in mental health promotion.”
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/where-there-is-no-psychiatrist/47578A845CAFC7E23A181749A4190B54
COVID-19: Operational Guidance for Migrant & Displaced Children
COVID-19’s rapid spread poses particular challenges for vulnerable populations, especially migrants and displaced (M&D) children. Over 180 countries – and rising – have identified cases of COVID-19, and migration is often cited as the reason for its spread. It is apparent that certain characteristics of displaced populations such as higher risk of contagion, high mobility, and being difficult to reach, present suitable conditions for a rapid outbreak of COVID-19 – at huge risk to M&D children and to the surrounding communities. It is clear that the cost of not prioritising M&D populations is likely to be catastrophic.
Save the Children’s Programme Framework explicitly recognises the acute vulnerability of migrant and displaced communities and suggests a number of possible programmatic interventions. This paper, developed by the TWG on Protecting the Rights of M&D Children, the MDI and Geneva Advocacy office, aims to provide further complementary analysis, suggested text for proposal and project design, and technical guidance to SC colleagues.
Coronavirus emergency appeal UNHCR’s preparedness and response plan (REVISED)
In light of the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 outbreak is having across operations worldwide, UNHCR is revising its initial requirements of $33 million and is appealing for an additional $222 million, bringing revised requirements to $255 million to urgently support preparedness and response in situations of forced displacement over the next nine months.
COVID-19 is first and foremost a public health crisis, and within that crisis refugee and other forcibly displaced populations are at greater risk as the pandemic evolves.
UNHCR is focusing on protecting all forcibly displaced populations, prioritizing situations and
contexts—formal and informal—with large populations of refugees, IDPs, stateless persons and
other people of concern to ensure that health and WASH systems and services are shored up,
reinforced and quickly adapted.
http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20appeal%20-%20REVISED%20-%20FINAL.pdf
Healing when crisis strikes
Millions in Syria and Yemen fleeing relentless conflict, the Rohingya seeking refuge in Bangladesh, girls abducted in Nigeria, Venezuelans driven by economic collapse into Brazil — today’s crises are becoming more widespread, complex and protracted and they continue to take a disproportionate toll on women and girls. War, human rights violations, underdevelopment, climate change and natural disasters are driving people to leave their homes in unprecedented numbers.Humanitarian crises produce psychological suffering and trauma that threaten the health and well-being of affected people, and erode global efforts for peace building and recovery. In 2019, nearly 143 million people needed humanitarian aid and protection. UNFPA estimates that more than 35 million are women and girls of reproductive age.
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/MHPSS-CountryCasesAndOverview.pdf
Road to Recovery: Responding to children’s mental health in conflict
Boys and girls are bearing a disproportionate burden of modern conflict. Latest figures reveal that 142 million children are living in high intensity conflict zones1 and millions more have been forced to flee as refugees, often to unstable settings in other countries. Since 2010, the number of children living in conflict zones has increased by 37%, yet the number of verified grave violations against them – including killing and maiming, recruitment into armed forces and sexual violence – has increased by 174%.
“When ISIS took over our town, the fighting got worse. I always felt tired and stressed. I feel so much older than I am because of the war. I feel like an old woman even though I am 16.” Safaa, 16, Syria
https://www.hhri.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/road-to-recovery.pdf
Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR)
The Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) is the independent advisory body to the Greek State on matters pertaining to human rights protection. It was established by Law 2667/1998 in accordance with the UN Paris Principles and inaugurated on 10 January 2000, when it was first convened by the Prime Minister.Its members are nominated by institutions whose activities cover the field of human rights: NGOs, trade unions, independent authorities, universities, bar associations, political parties, Parliament and the Αdministration.