Tiblisi, Georgia/Los Angeles, Calif. - International Medical Corps (IMC) staff found a need for mental health services among people affected by the recent conflict in Georgia. With an extensive background in emergency mental health programming, IMC is preparing a response to the impacted region.
International Medical Corps staff conducted a rapid assessment of the mental well-being of the displaced in coordination with the United Nations and international and national NGOs to determine how best to aid the region. The collaborative assessment found the affected populations to be in need of mental health support, services that both IMC and the Ministry of Health in Georgia have prioritized.
"In our assessment of resettlement areas, we found the mental well-being of the displaced to be under significant strain, mainly due to the violence and resulting fear," says Chris Skopec, Georgia team leader for International Medical Corps. "We found that children who have lived through both wars and displacements are particularly affected. It is important that children are able to go to school to create as much of a sense of normalcy as possible."
Following an earlier assessment in North Ossetia, International Medical Corps found the population in need of non-food items, including clothing and blankets. While local doctors are providing medical services, the displaced in North Ossetia are also in need of mental health support.
The Georgia Ministry of Health estimates there are some 90,000 displaced people in and around Tbilisi alone. The Georgian government is also seeking $1 to $2 billion in aid for infrastructure redevelopment. With health systems heavily damaged in the fighting, International Medical Corps also will be assessing the need for reconstruction. IMC is planning to distribute donated supplies, and will be aiding in the provision of mental health activities in North Ossetia and Georgia.
International Medical Corps has worked in Russia since 2000, with programs in North Ossetia for the past two years. IMC provides youth education and vocational training in seven Russian republics, including Chechnya and Ingushetia, as well as Stavropolskiy Krai. In addition to education programs, IMC also provides health care services in Chechnya and Ingushetia. IMC also has extensive experience in Georgia, providing health care, micro-lending projects, and education programs for nearly a decade.
Fighting in South Ossetia began when Georgia sent warplanes and troops into the area. Russia responded by deploying troops across the border and arming Georgia's other debated state, Abkhazia. While a ceasefire was declared, more than 1,600 were killed in the conflict and another 160,000 have been displaced throughout the region.
Georgia has struggled with two Russian-backed breakaway states since it gained independence in 1991, with South Ossetia in the north and Abkhaiza in the northwest fighting to become fully autonomous. The two regions use Russian currency and 90 percent of South Ossetians hold a Russian passport.
Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been to relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.
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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Georgian soldiers clean their barracks in the Senaki Military Base, a Georgian military base which was occupied by Russian forces and evacuated last Saturday, in western Georgia, August 25, 2008. Russia's ...
