Strengthening psychosocial work

Project description

Title: Psychosocial support for Syrian/Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)​​​​​​​
Country: Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Syria​​​​​​​
Overall term: 2015 to 2022

Painting of a flowering landscape in Jordan. Copyright: GIZ/Nabil Al Jubori

Context

The prolonged conflicts in Syria and Iraq have led to one of the largest movements of displaced persons in our times. This places an enormous strain on the infrastructure in host communities. In many places, basic services for refugees and internally displaced people can no longer be guaranteed.

In addition to the violence and losses that many people have experienced in the course of displacement, new challenges in the host countries can lead to chronic mental health issues. The economic situation there is deteriorating dramatically. This is accompanied by existential fears and an increasing rejection of refugees by the host communities.

Objective

Psychosocial support for Syrian refugees and internally displaced people in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey has been strengthened.

GIZ-IMAGE-2022_Remote-MHPSS

Approach

This project strengthens structures and capacities to provide psychological care and support to refugees in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey. To this end, it cooperates with government and civil society actors and organisations in the four countries.

In Jordan, the project funds four psychotherapeutic care centres run by International Medical Corps UK (IMC). These enable psychiatric clinical care to be provided to 1,400 patients.

In order to improve the welfare of employees on site, the project financed a research programme (‘What helps the helpers?’). In cooperation with the Sigmund Freud University and the International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, the Responding to Staff Care Needs in Fragile Contexts (REST) approach was developed and successfully implemented with selected organisations in the region.

With funding from the project, the registered association medica mondiale produced a welfare concept for female employees in local organisations in Iraq, which was then piloted in a women’s organisation.

In a long-term study with families in Jordan, the project worked with the NGO War Child to establish a systematic support approach.

Last update: March 2022

Additional information