Chad | HIAS

HIAS Psychosocial Initiative for Darfurian Refugees in Chad

At the end of 2004, approximately 200,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing a state-sponsored campaign of terror and devastation in the region of Darfur sought shelter in Chad.

For those people fleeing Darfur, their physical displacement is compounded by the devastating violence they survived, leaving them traumatized and unable to engage in the simplest tasks of daily life. Based on HIAS’ extensive experience serving refugees and its successful provision of psychosocial services in countries of first-asylum, HIAS, in partnership with IsraAID, created the Psychosocial Initiative for Darfurian Refugees in Chad to strengthen the refugees’ psychological and social conditions and to convey skills needed to survive and function in the aftermath of extreme violence. The program also receives support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, Migration and the Jewish Coalition for Sudan Relief, Jewish World Watch, B’nai B’rith, Union for Reform Judaism, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute.

The Initiative began in June 2005 to address these objectives:

systematically identify the most vulnerable refugees and implement strategies to ensure they access basic needs services;
train key community members to develop awareness for psychosocial 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;
provide direct psychological services for survivors of trauma and torture in group and individual settings.

When the program began, initial assessments on the ground showed evidence of trauma expressed through low levels of participation of refugees in community life and insufficient access to the services provided by the humanitarian agencies in Bredjing and Treguine camps, resulting in high levels of child mortality and nutritional problems. Traumatized refugees were unable to engage in the simplest tasks of daily life, with their skills for surviving and coping largely spent during their flight.

However, in the short-life of HIAS' program there have been marked improvements. For example, NGO medical providers are now better able to communicate and treat patients, and the majority of refugees who participated in HIAS trainings have expressed a better understanding of their condition and a sense of relief. Also the referral system is being sustained by the refugees themselves because they are able to identify people in need and refer them to HIAS.

The Initiative continues to make great progress and is receiving strong support from our partners in Chad. As a result of this success, HIAS has expanded to three additional camps for a total of five at the end of 2007.

The team’s introduction of narrative and drama therapies for youth and children support groups, through camp newsletters and theater groups, are helping to transmit psychosocial sensitization materials and have provided welcomed relief to the refugees.

Find Family Domestic International
Chad more Former Soviet Union Israel & the Middle East Kenya Latin America Vienna	Chad HIAS Psychosocial Initiative for Darfurian Refugees in Chad At the end of 2004, approximately 200,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing a state-sponsored campaign of terror and devastation in the region of Darfur sought shelter in Chad. For those people fleeing Darfur, their physical displacement is compounded by the devastating violence they survived, leaving them traumatized and unable to engage in the simplest tasks of daily life. Based on HIAS’ extensive experience serving refugees and its successful provision of psychosocial services in countries of first-asylum, HIAS, in partnership with IsraAID, created the Psychosocial Initiative for Darfurian Refugees in Chad to strengthen the refugees’ psychological and social conditions and to convey skills needed to survive and function in the aftermath of extreme violence. The program also receives support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, Migration and the Jewish Coalition for Sudan Relief, Jewish World Watch, B’nai B’rith, Union for Reform Judaism, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute. The Initiative began in June 2005 to address these objectives: systematically identify the most vulnerable refugees and implement strategies to ensure they access basic needs services; train key community members to develop awareness for psychosocial 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; provide direct psychological services for survivors of trauma and torture in group and individual settings. When the program began, initial assessments on the ground showed evidence of trauma expressed through low levels of participation of refugees in community life and insufficient access to the services provided by the humanitarian agencies in Bredjing and Treguine camps, resulting in high levels of child mortality and nutritional problems. Traumatized refugees were unable to engage in the simplest tasks of daily life, with their skills for surviving and coping largely spent during their flight. However, in the short-life of HIAS' program there have been marked improvements. For example, NGO medical providers are now better able to communicate and treat patients, and the majority of refugees who participated in HIAS trainings have expressed a better understanding of their condition and a sense of relief. Also the referral system is being sustained by the refugees themselves because they are able to identify people in need and refer them to HIAS. The Initiative continues to make great progress and is receiving strong support from our partners in Chad. As a result of this success, HIAS has expanded to three additional camps for a total of five at the end of 2007. The team’s introduction of narrative and drama therapies for youth and children support groups, through camp newsletters and theater groups, are helping to transmit psychosocial sensitization materials and have provided welcomed relief to the refugees.