June 26th, 2022
Locals displaced by over one year of conflict are in need of encouragement and counseling as they are facing mental health problems and stress, according to the social organizations which are providing health care to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“Now the IDPs have no safety. We can counsel them not to think about it. But it is impossible for us to provide remedies for reducing their stress. Because they see the casualties caused by the fighting in nearby areas and hear the sounds of artillery shells and gunfire. It is difficult to remedy them under these circumstances as they themselves are experiencing it on the ground,” Khoon Phillip, Director of the Civil Health and Development Network (CHDN).
The elderly, women and mothers especially have to suffer more stress, those helping the IDPs.
As some IDPs lose their houses and children and face livelihood difficulties for a long period of time and other factors, they suffer stress.
“The health of the IDPs is of great importance. The elderly cannot sleep well. Some IDPs lost their sons in 17s, 18s and 20s in the frontline battles. Some women lost their husbands in the fighting. There are three or four women who have two or three children,” Vin Zin Shar, an IDP says.
Around 50 of 100 IDPs are found to suffer stress, a female nurse from the Karenni Nurses Association (KNA) formed with the nurses who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) says.
Providing remedy for mental health remains weak as the KNA has to prioritize the physical health of the IDPs, she continues.
“As we frequently said, we need good trainers for mental health. I think we can solve this problem when we have female nurses and health workers more or less. We have to place more emphasis on foods and health rather than mental health. Health workers know that it is crucial. We need to implement it on a small scale,” a female nurse from the KNA says.
There are no organizations which are constantly working to educate and counsel the IDPs about mental health on a wider scale.
“They cannot sleep well as they have to stay away from their houses and stay in the forests. The IDP camps are not like the houses. They are unhappy as their houses were burned down, and they have no income,” Daw Nwe Nwe Hlaing who is taking shelter at the IDP camp in the west of Demaws says.
The public faces more mental health problems as the military council is intentionally carrying out artillery shelling and airstrikes every day, according to those helping the IDPs.
There are around 200,000 IDPs in Karenni State. Sixty percent of the IDPs are women and children, the Karenni Civil Society Network’s press conference.
Sent by Maw Mi Myar (Kantarawaddy Times)
