Bangkok, Thailand – Natural disasters touch the lives of over 163 million people in Asia each year, severely affecting individuals, families, communities and the society. Emergencies erode support networks and amplify pre-existing problems such as injustice and inequality. Disasters together with uncertainty about the future often cause psychosocial and mental health problems to affected populations, especially in low-income countries with limited access to support services.
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) this week is hosting the third regional conference on Bridging the Gaps in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies in Asia, bringing together officials and experts from across the Asian region and beyond. Organized in Bangkok, Thailand, the conference addresses the lack of regional coordination related to mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies and aims to build a platform for regional inter-agency collaboration.
“As climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, it is critical to ensure the availability of mental health and psychological support for the affected populations,” says Mr. Shane Wright, Executive Director for Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. “We need to collaborate across different sectors and country borders to help people recover from disasters,” he adds.
The conference on 8–9 December is participated by representatives of government institutions, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, civil society, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, development partners and academia from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam as well as Australia and Norway.
“Most disasters are transnational and countries must collaborate to tackle them together. It is important to understand that psychosocial aspects should not be considered as a side issue, but they should become an integrated part of disaster response,” emphasizes Dr. Atle Dyregrov, Head of International Issues at the Center for Crisis Psychology in Norway.
“There are two aspects that are important for us as human beings in disaster situations. One is information – we need to know what is happening to us and our loved ones. The other one is that all response activities must be caring, meaning that there is somebody who is meeting you with a human response at all levels,” he states.
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center organizes the regional conference in collaboration with the Center for Crisis Psychology of Norway and Thammasat University of Thailand, and with funding support from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For more information, contact ADPC's Communications Manager Leila Puutio (leila@adpc.net, tel. 09 2463 3097) or visit www.adpc.net/mhpss.
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Sources:
Inter-Agency Standing Committee: IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (2007)
PreventionWeb: Asia – Disaster Statistics
Satapathy S. & Subhasis B.: Disaster Psychosocial and Mental Health Support in South & South-East Asian Countries: A Synthesis (2009)
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Photo credit: ADPC
adpc
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Ms. Leila Puutio (née Uotila)
Communication Manager
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