Mental health problems among Darfur refugees and IDPs
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
Awareness-raising events took place around the world on Saturday 10 October, to mark World Mental Health Day 2015.
World Mental Health Day takes place on Saturday 10 October 2015 with the theme of Dignity in Mental Health. Saturday 10 October 2015 marked the World Mental Health Day. The news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate marked the World Mental Health Day raised emotions about the state of suffering among the mentally ill in general and especially dwellers in the displacement and asylum camps descended from the western Darfur region. The question as to what are in store for an eternity for people with mental health problems in the Darfur camps on the World Day of Remembrance for mental health problems remains unanswered.
Furthermore, Duchess Kate visited Harrow College, in north-west London, with her husband the Duke in their first joint royal engagement in support of mental health issues. They met young people who have overcome their own personal experiences with the issue to work with charity Mind and the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, helping others and raising awareness.
This news item which indicates the interest of the peoples of the world leaders for their country nationals and reminds us of the dire conditions in which people live in Darfur, Sudan, who are languishing in displacement camps and asylum in particular who suffer mental health problems.
To expect from the regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan to pay attention to people with mental health problems in those camps is like we’re in the imagination with Alice in Wonderland or in the Cloud Cuckoo Land; So to speak. This is because the Islamist genocidal regime who claims the application of Islam on the entire land of Sudan would kill citizens rather than providing them with shelter, medicine, food, drinking water or security.
World Mental Health Day is the annual global celebration of mental health. Of the principles of the World Mental Health Day 2015: Call to end stigma and discrimination.
The survivors of the crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan, a considerable proportion of them has experienced or continued suffering with mental health problems. The mental health problems such people experience ranging from grief reactions due to loss, depression, post-traumatic stress reactions (PTSR), psychotic disorders. Moreover, behavioural problems among the children along with memory problems in the elderly. Substance abuse related disorders might exist. This besides effects of malnutrition and the endemic tropical diseases with their mental health complications. Mental health problems are rife more among those who have lost their loved ones including mothers, fathers ,sons, daughters , brothers and sisters, and the dearly from the extended family.
The focus of the World Day of Mental Health this year will be supporting people living with mental ill health with dignity.
Mental health services are not expected to be provided to the residents of the camps from the regime that have dried and privatized hospitals and treatment and dismissed workers in the health sector to provide care for the residents of the camps who suffered the scourge of war waged by the regime of the NCP. Health care help may be expected only from the non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The NCP regime expelled out 13 of the main (NGOs) on the pretext that they were foreign reporters.
In March 11, 2009, the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) and other aid workers warned of possible causes of Sudan’s decision to expel or close 16 relief organization in the creation of a humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region torn apart by conflict. And it will leave halt humanitarian organizations for their activities in Sudan, 1.1 million people without food, 1.5 million without medical care and a million people at least without drinking water, according to the United Nations, which described these organizations as “an integral part” of the largest humanitarian operation in the world. – See more at: http://arabic.irinnews.org/reportarabic.aspx?reportid=1222#sthash.waQUYvwL.dpuf
What hurts most is that within the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) government there are more than a dozen doctors, but they have abandoned the right of the ill, and the Oath of Hippocrates and followed their interests and worldly benefits and jobs. They land walled off the timeless Medical principles. The end justifies the means is the doctrine they utilized.
And the irony is that the anniversary of World Mental Health Day coinciding with the absurd meeting of the so-called dialogue of Al Wathba declared by the genocidal criminal fugitive from international justice Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir of the (NCP) ruling regime. The residents of the refugee and displaced persons camps have no role to play in the closed club meeting al-Bashir chairing in exclusion of the rebel forces and the effective components of the political opposition. Moreover, the other ironic and surprising thing is that the war criminal al-Bashir continued postponing the meeting for the alleged national dialogue he planned since January 27, 2014 ahead of his fraudulent elections which lacked legitimacy.
At this moment, we Salute the World Mental Health Day and call for help for the sufferers of Mental Health Problems in general and for those in adversity in the camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Refugees In particular.
The civil wars of attrition waged by the regime chaired by the Genocidal criminal al-Bashir remain the obstacle for sustainable peace, security and peace of mind!
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/