HIAS, in partnership with IsraAid, the Israeli Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, created the Psychosocial Initiative for Darfurian Refugees in Chad to strengthen refugees’ psychological and social conditions and to teach skills needed to survive and function in the aftermath of genocide and other forms of extreme violence.

The program’s objectives are to: provide direct psychological services for survivors of trauma and torture in group and individual settings; systematically identify the most vulnerable refugees and implement strategies to ensure they access basic needs services; train key community members to develop awareness for psycho-social issues among the refugees, enabling them to better care for themselves and members of their community; establish activities for children and youth that will facilitate their adjustment to living in the refugee camps and dealing with the trauma they survived; create safe environments in the camps, particularly for women at risk and unaccompanied children.

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