Mental health during emergencies

In need: Deprived of food, shelter, security and psychological care, survivors of Israel’s war on Gaza face the prospect of years of mental health repercussions. — Reuters

EVERY year, Oct 10 marks World Mental Health Day, a time to reflect on what it means to protect the mind and spirit in an increasingly fragile world. This year’s World Health Organisation (WHO) theme, “Mental health in humanitarian emergencies”, could not be more painfully relevant.

When we speak of humanitarian catastrophe today, we are speaking of Gaza, Myanmar, Ukraine, and more. This is not abstract policy language. It is a reckoning with the generational trauma inflicted by atrocity, with children losing parents, doctors losing hospitals, and families losing the will to live.