Data from the United Nations Organization for Migration showed that the number of internally displaced people in Sudan has doubled in recent days, as more than 700,000 people have been displaced since mid-April, in light of the continuing fighting between the two parties to the conflict. .
In addition to new cases of internal displacement, the United Nations has estimated that more than 100,000 people, including Sudanese citizens and returning nationals from other countries, have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia. .
Emergency teams for psychological support
An informed Egyptian Health Ministry official said in statements to Sky News Arabia that a plan was immediately drawn up to provide psychological support to Egyptians returning from Sudan, as well as displaced Sudanese or nationals from a foreign country, which included equipping a “psychological support clinic” at border crossing points in the southern city of Aswan; With the aim of treating so-called “displacement” diseases, especially for children, adolescents and women.
He highlighted the increase in the number of teams specializing in the provision of psychological support and counseling services at crossing points in recent days with the increase in the number of displaced persons, and the preparation of a number of hospitals in Aswan to receive the most needy cases. of psychological treatment, in addition to making available a hotline “16328” to receive any request for treatment or treatment.
A difficult situation
Consultant psychiatrist Jamal Froiz, who has worked as a consultant psychiatrist for the United Nations in a number of conflict areas, believes that many psychological illnesses left over from conflict outweigh organic illnesses, especially for children and adults. women who have witnessed destruction and murder.
In statements exclusive to Sky News Arabia, Froiz elaborated on the impact of the conflict in Sudan on the exacerbation of mental illness on a number of points, saying:
During my work with the United Nations teams in Darfur and South Sudan, I have witnessed the damage suffered by many families as a result of displacement and fighting, as many people are killed and injured, and there are those who leave their homes, which has led to an increase in psychological and nervous crises. Many displaced people suffer from psychological disorders, such as children suffering from panic, sleep disorders, and constant fear of the fate that awaits them, and there are those who have lost their children or children who have lost their parents, and all this is accompanied by diseases and psychological disorders. The most important mental illnesses suffered by displaced people are: depression, post-traumatic symptoms, obsessive-compulsive disorders, sleep disorders, anxiety and tension, as well as withdrawal and feelings of persecution. It is necessary to monitor those who come from Sudan on a continuous basis and through specialized teams in psychotherapy. To enable them to overcome the difficult period they have gone through since the beginning of the fighting. What the Egyptian Ministry of Health has done in terms of deploying psychological teams and equipping specialized clinics at entry points is very important, and this needs to be complemented by monitoring arrivals for a period of 6 months if post-traumatic symptoms appear.
Wars breed mental illness
The American Journal of Mental and Psychological Health made reference, in a study, to mental illnesses left over from wars and armed conflicts, including:
22% of people living in areas of armed conflict suffer from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. About 9% of the population of countries affected by violent conflict suffer from serious mental and psychological disorders. Depression and anxiety increase with age in countries in conflict, and these figures are much higher than in peacetime, as nearly one in 14 people suffers from some form of mental illness, up to at 7.14%. Research published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists indicates that symptoms of post-war psychological disorders appear after weeks or within 3 months, including physiological symptoms such as muscle pain, diarrhoea, irregular pulse, headache and appetite disorders. Physiological symptoms coincide with other psychological symptoms that control the patient, such as panic attacks, fear, depression, anxiety, and guilt, and may extend to suicidal thoughts and tendencies.
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