Mental health services have been sidelined for too long in complex emergency situations, armed conflicts, and natural disasters for both humanitarian workers and the people they assist. It was simply not considered as a priority, as much as providing food, water and shelter. Being invisible, some traumas can easily go unnoticed or resurface years later. Yet long-term exposure to stressful factors has a devastating impact on the psychosocial well-being of individuals.
Because most humanitarian organizations are built on patriarchal rules and references, a culture of suffering in silence was the norm for a long time. Asking for the improvement of working and living conditions that could benefit your own personnel well-being was seen as not being “truly humanitarian”. And it is still implicitly acknowledged that talking about stress, anxiety or burn-out could jeopardize your career and/or limit the scope of missions where you could be deployed.
For national staff being selected for international assignments, the situation could even be more strenuous. Because they might come from war zones, having been subjected to violence or living in hardship conditions, they might carry unresolved traumas to their new missions. Some of them might feel isolated, without the proper backup or networking available to international staff (taking into account the different needs of women and men).
Today, although most international organizations put counselling services at the disposal of national and international staff, we know how difficult it can be to turn to a formal system for support. It is sometimes difficult to find the words and the courage to talk to someone representing the institution about one own ordeal, depending on our culture, traditions, upbringing.
For many years when I was in the field in Somalia, Haiti or Chad, I was wondering about what it would take to create a safe space for newly deployed staff who would like to talk to individuals they trust. Beyond pre-deployment briefings and trainings on the technical aspects of our job, I was feeling that real human support was missing. Furthermore, I thought that the “self-care” package designed to help you when in distress was just another “tick the box” exercise.
Here is an article for further discussion: https://odi.org/en/insights/life-on-the-humanitarian-frontlines-the-challenge-of-staying-the-course/
KDC’s ambition is to feel the gap between the official rhetoric of humanitarian organizations about the wellbeing of staff and the practical needs on the ground. Both international and national staff should be fully equipped/supported not only for their present mission, but also for any psychological consequences that hardship postings could have on their future.
The question is as follows: according to your own experience, what is still missing in humanitarian operations to be fully prepared to cope with increased stress, isolation, mental exhaustion?
Please feel free to contact the author Dr. Nadine Puechguirbal @ npuechguirbal@gmail.com or at kdc@kderiche.com and share your stories (anonymously if you wish).
Dr. Nadine Puechguirbal
Senior Gender Expert
Yoga Alliance Certified Trainer
