ICRC
Syria Update
A young Syrian refugee in the Ruwaishid area, Jordan.
The Syrian PTSD crisis Syria Relief, one of the world’s leading Syria-focused NGOs, has published research which shows that 74% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and 76% of Syrian refugees in Turkey have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In war-torn Idlib, Northwest Syria, 99% of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have symptoms of PTSD. Syria Relief is labelling this “the Syrian PTSD crisis”. Charles Lawley, the author of the report and Syria Relief’s Head of Communications and Advocacy, says: “This report finally quantifies and gives a face to the Syrian PTSD crisis that many of us working with the victims of the Syrian conflict have long suspected. However, the results are worse than what we feared.” Othman Moqbel, Chief Executive Syria Relief, notes in the report: “Whilst the world concentrates its attention towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Syrians are gripped by a mental health epidemic which the world is ignoring, just like many
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of the aspects of this decade-long conflict. Syria Relief, like many NGOs working inside Syria and the neighbouring countries, receive donor support to provide aid to treat the symptoms of the damage that you can see – food, water, education and physical health projects – but there is not currently the same will from donors to deal with this spiralling mental health crisis.” Lawley adds: “We are hoping that now we can finally measure the impact of trauma on the victims of conflict, the aid community will be better supported to provide the psychosocial support that is clearly needed. We also hope that mental health first aid and a holistic response to conflict and crises can be taken and the psychological needs are also provided for. “This conflict has touched every Syrian in some way. Our fear is that this will be the legacy of this conflict, when the bombs and guns eventually fall silent. For Syrian people, the mental scars will continue bleeding long after the physical ones have healed.”
H E A L T H
Moqbel says in the report that “refugees and IDPs may have escaped the conflict physically, but PTSD means many will be unable to truly escape this conflict, even when the brutal fighting finally ceases, unless their condition is treated”. “This report does not just prove that this unseen crisis exists with empirical evidence, but it gives it a face. I hope the numbers you see and the stories you read will work towards generating more international support to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe that we can’t see – mental health amongst the victims of this decade of inhumanity.” The destruction you can’t see The report, The Destruction You Can’t See: A report into the prevalence of PTSD symptoms amongst IDPs and refugees from the Syrian conflict, finds: • 88% of the 721 respondents from different locations in Idlib, Syria, Beqa’a Valley, Lebanon and Istanbul, Hatay, Ga-
