The Challenging Plight of Refugees – A Story
Toni M. Roucka, RN, DDS, MA, FACD Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Marquette University School of Dentistry University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
“Refugees are the human casualties that stream from the world’s trouble spots. They are driven from their homelands by major crises such as war, religious and political persecution, brutal regimes, ethnic cleansing, military uprisings, and anarchy. Very few refugees emerge from their experiences without having endured or witnessed some form of physical or psychological trauma. The long-term physical and psychological sequelae resulting from this exposure are common features of the ‘refugee experience’.” Refugee Health Care: A handbook for health professionals1
The world is currently witnessing in real-time how refugee crises unfold. In the summer of 2021, the world observed the mass evacuation of Afghan citizens from their country due to political unrest. We are now witnessing the raw beginning of the war in Ukraine and the massive refugee crisis occurring in Eastern Europe. The shock, the despair, and the cruelty of senseless aggression are obvious. For the Afghan and Ukrainian people, this is their new reality. For distant observers, this is a reminder, of the unpredictability and fragility of life and social constructs. These are just two of the many such crises occurring at this time around the globe. On the faces of the victims, the toll of their plight is evi-
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dent. Their lives and those of generations to come are changed forever. Conversely, I find it inspiring to see first responders, international governments, and ordinary citizens alike rising up to lend aid to millions of desperate refugees, sacrificing their own safety and financial security to do so. Much of the world has come together for these new refugees but the reality of how this story ends for them is still unknown. I have seen firsthand the backside of another, long-standing refugee crisis in a dichotomous part of the world. The truth is that the plight of refugees is desperate, in the short and long term. In resettlement countries, the refugee experience continues, as communities struggle to adapt to new
2022 Volume 89, Number 2
