I think many here would have mental problems if they had to go through what these people do.
The conflict in Syria cripples the soul, not just the body
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DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EurActiv.com PLC.
By Dimitar Iv. Ganev
Jun 22, 2016 (updated: Jun 22, 2016)
Syrian refugee children in Gaziantep, 50 kilometres from the Turkish-Syrian border. [Dimitar Iv. Ganev]
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The mental health of refugees in Turkey remains a controversial topic surrounded by cultural taboos, writes Dimitar Iv. Ganev.
Dimitar Iv. Ganev is a young Bulgarian journalist who recently returned from a press trip to Turkey organized by the European Journalism Centre and DG ECHO.
Her name – Amal – means “hope” in Arabic. But the 34-year old Syrian refugee, living in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, just 50 kilometres from the Syrian border with her 5 children, bursts into tears when speaking about her husbands’ mental problems. Her story resembles that of hundreds of thousands of Syrians with spouses or close relatives, suffering from psychological illnesses. About 66 % of Syrian refugees in Turkey – a country hosting a total of 3.1 million asylum seekers – have serious mental problems, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The international institution had observed more than 1200 patients to reach this figure, explained the WHO Emergency Health Coordinator in Gaziantep Dr. Alaa AbouZeid.
The intensive air strikes, on-the-ground clashes, the widespread loss of family members and friends, the displacements and the other horrors of the 5-year war have created an impossible situation for many Syrians. The conflict has also spilled over a grave humanitarian disaster to neighbouring countries – a situation which the world is yet to address adequately.
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The conflict in Syria cripples the soul, not just the body?
The conflict in Syria cripples the soul, not just the body
Home | Global Europe | Opinions
DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EurActiv.com PLC.
By Dimitar Iv. Ganev
Jun 22, 2016 (updated: Jun 22, 2016)
Syrian refugee children in Gaziantep, 50 kilometres from the Turkish-Syrian border. [Dimitar Iv. Ganev]
Comments
The mental health of refugees in Turkey remains a controversial topic surrounded by cultural taboos, writes Dimitar Iv. Ganev.
Dimitar Iv. Ganev is a young Bulgarian journalist who recently returned from a press trip to Turkey organized by the European Journalism Centre and DG ECHO.
Her name – Amal – means “hope” in Arabic. But the 34-year old Syrian refugee, living in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, just 50 kilometres from the Syrian border with her 5 children, bursts into tears when speaking about her husbands’ mental problems. Her story resembles that of hundreds of thousands of Syrians with spouses or close relatives, suffering from psychological illnesses. About 66 % of Syrian refugees in Turkey – a country hosting a total of 3.1 million asylum seekers – have serious mental problems, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The international institution had observed more than 1200 patients to reach this figure, explained the WHO Emergency Health Coordinator in Gaziantep Dr. Alaa AbouZeid.
The intensive air strikes, on-the-ground clashes, the widespread loss of family members and friends, the displacements and the other horrors of the 5-year war have created an impossible situation for many Syrians. The conflict has also spilled over a grave humanitarian disaster to neighbouring countries – a situation which the world is yet to address adequately.
Continue reading at:
The conflict in Syria cripples the soul, not just the body?
