Grief. Shock. Anxiety.
This was just the beginning for people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh. Over 100,000 people were forcibly displaced from their homes in September 2023 after Azerbaijan launched an attack on the self-proclaimed republic, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has traditionally been home to many ethnic Armenians. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams received patients once they arrived in neighboring Armenia, providing humanitarian assistance, including psychological first aid.
In just the first few days, MSF provided mental health consultations and psychological first aid to over 200 people.
“A woman came to us and repeatedly expressed her desire to return home immediately and asked for our help,” said Narine Danielyan, MSF’s medical team leader in Goris, Armenia. “Almost everyone we talk to tells us they have lost a loved one or a distant family member. Most of them are devastated and severely psychologically affected.”
Read the full story on how MSF provided psychological first aid to people displaced from their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We have been able to see mostly women who are experiencing different mental health conditions—stress, grief, bereavement, and other psychosomatic illnesses,” Narine said.
In addition to providing for people’s immediate medical and other essential needs, MSF is committed to delivering psychological first aid to people who have experienced traumatic events like conflict and forced displacement. Those who fled came to MSF exhausted from carrying multiple bags of their belongings and suffering from a range of mental health conditions. Many were looking for specific support, but others simply needed someone to listen to their concerns.
“We are dealing with people who have lost everything. Our approach involves several steps, including building trust, ensuring well-being, stabilizing those in acute distress, providing practical assistance, rebuilding social connections, offering coping strategies, and connecting them to additional resources and care.”
Read about how MSF is delivering psychological first aid to people who’ve lost everything.
|
