Center for Victims of Torture’s Post

Before we try to educate, we must understand refugee trauma. https://bit.ly/3KFmeUE

For Refugee Awareness Week, we want to share some information on PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers. Thousands of people voyage to the UK every year seeking refuge. And in 2015, there were 123,000 displaced persons or refugees. PTSD can look different to each person but many have experienced one or a combination of the following: - Financial difficulties - Torture - Homelessness or poor accommodation - Low employment opportunities - Cultural differences including language There is still a stigma about getting support for PTSD and recognizing it can have its challenges. There are some great resources on how to navigate these conversations including understanding the importance of confidentiality and ensuring the children are in a safe environment. For more information visit PTSD UK's website at https://loom.ly/h_mapk4 and to find out more about supporting partners for refugee awareness week visit https://loom.ly/h_mapk4

At HIAS+JCORE, we’ve long seen how destablising age assessments are. Through our JUMP befriending project, which works with unaccompanied young people seeking sanctuary in the UK, we’ve witnessed first-hand the awful impact they have on asylum seekers. Today’s important report from the Helen Bamber Foundation, Refugee Council and the Humans for Rights Network highlights the appalling full extent of this outrageous child protection scandal.   Shockingly, it finds that: • In an 18-month period, the Home Office wrongly assessed more than 1,300 children to be adults. • There were over 800 safeguarding episodes recorded, where there was strong evidence that a child was sharing accommodation with an unrelated adult. • At least 14 children spent up to 7 months sharing cells in adult prisons. It’s clear that the Home Office’s decision making at the border is fundamentally flawed – and that we need urgent changes to stop further children and young people seeking asylum from suffering the consequences. Click below to read the full report ⬇

Please read this important research and please share. 

This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, learn how you can advocate for improved access to mental healthcare.  Read the Lab, International Refugee Assistance Project & Center for Victims of Torture’s guide on improving access to mental healthcare for refugees & other displaced people in the United States⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eSBwX9yU

Who are refugees? They are people forced to leave their homes because of violence, conflict, or persecution. There have been several news stories very recently about tragedies happening to people fleeing their countries. The world is seeing the highest levels of displacement ever recorded. Many refugees come to the United States hoping to start a new life and gain stability and safety for their families. Many are suffering from PTSD as a result of the experiences they've faced. But they have to move on for the sake of their families. They quickly need to find housing, work, and get their kids into school. At Workplace Talent Solutions, we help businesses support these new Americans. We offer support for refugees who are trying to learn the language and the culture of a new country. If you share our heart for refugees, there are many ways to offer support. Consider starting or joining a refugee welcome group. Or get in touch with a local resettlement agency to find other ways to support refugees. Local organizations: Church World Service: https://loom.ly/GCrNHpM Bethany Christian Services: https://loom.ly/EoTFF78 Welcome Corps: https://loom.ly/QDWzRzs #worldrefugeeday

World leaders: Look at the hands in this image. They bear the weight of neglect, abuse, and violence that 1 billion #children face. The power to end it is ours. This open letter backed by high-profile advocates, allies, and survivors is not a request – it's a mandate for change. Read it today and go to the Global Conference ready to commit resources and enact real policies. #Childhood should be about play and growth, not survival. Make it happen. #EveryChildProtected #InOurHands https://lnkd.in/eVR7gtqv UNICEF United Nations UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency World Health Organization

In 2022, 468 million children worldwide lived in areas affected by armed conflict. Nearly 200 million children are living in the world's most lethal war zones, the highest number in over a decade. UNICEF estimates that there are 150 million orphaned children worldwide. 43.3 million children lived in forced displacement, Refugee. There are 240 million children with disabilities in the world; Of the world's 2.3 billion children 14 percent - or 320 million - are living in single-parent households, most often headed by single mothers. Almost Half of the future - actual children are in difficulties.  LET'S JOIN HELP THEM OUT @DaniilFoundation 🤝https://lnkd.in/euKyAFqt

The relentless conflict in Gaza, as described by Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), has inflicted profound and pervasive harm on the region's youngest and most vulnerable inhabitants, its innocent children. For children aged 17, this marks the fifth war they have had to endure, each episode layering additional trauma upon their already burdened lives. These children have faced not only the disruption of their education, leaving countless without the structure and safety of school, but have also been subjected to severe deprivation, trauma, and the unimaginable horror of losing their lives and that of their families, simply for existing. Egeland highlights the dire situation, stating that the indiscriminate nature of the hostilities has left no child untouched by trauma. Through the NRC's school-based Better Learning Program, efforts have been made to mitigate the psychological scars of war on Gaza's children, who have historically suffered from repeated traumatic events. Despite past successes in helping many children recover, the unprecedented scale of devastation in this fifth conflict has overwhelmed the capacity to provide relief, affecting virtually every child across Gaza with profound psychological impacts.

Challenges Experienced by #Children in #Crisis: Observations from #Humanitarian Workers in #Gaza and #Lebanon In most conflict areas, children are exposed casualties who suffer not only physical injuries but also long-term psychological, emotional, and social effects of #crisis. Throughout locations like Gaza and Lebanon, with its back-to-back #violence and instability, #humanitarian #workers see every day ways in which the #children suffer monumental difficulties. This article would seek to highlight a few significant #challenges of children in crisis-ridden areas through the perspectives given by the on-the-ground aid workers. 1. Physical Insecurity and Trauma 2. Psychological Trauma and Mental Health Struggles 3. Education Disruption 4. Economic Hardship and Child Labor 5. Inaccessibility to Basic Needs 6. Social Isolation and Loss of Community Support Plan International Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster Global Protection Cluster Global Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Nonviolent Peaceforce Safeguarding and Child Protection Association The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action United Nations UNDP in Europe and Central Asia UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency