Why should supporting the mental health of Sudanese people be our top priority? – Something for the homeland – ✍️ Mr. Salah Ghariba
In the midst of celebrating World Mental Health Day, which reminds us that no health is complete without health of mind and spirit, attention turns to a profound humanitarian crisis that strikes at the heart of existence: the crisis of displaced people and Sudanese refugees brutally uprooted by war. The Sudanese tragedy is not just about the number of people on relief lists or refugee camps, but rather about deep psychological wounds that need to be healed, especially for those who have found temporary refuge in neighboring countries like Egypt.
The forced displacement is a double shock. First, the shock of war and the horror they experienced as their family, loved ones and homeland collapsed. Second, the shock of uprooting from a familiar environment, loss of livelihood, exposure to distance and uncertainty of the future. For thousands of Sudanese in Egypt, anxiety for loved ones back home, despair over imminent return, and economic and social pressures in a new country still represent a heavy psychological burden.
Children have nightmares, young people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mothers and fathers struggle with anxiety, depression and insecurity. This is not a luxury that can be postponed, but rather a basic need that is no less important than food and shelter. Neglecting mental health at this stage not only threatens their current stability, but also threatens their ability to recover and reintegrate into any future society.
Psychotherapy is not a luxury in relief programs and today, psychosocial support (PSS) must be an integral part of any relief program. This requires establishing screening and awareness mechanisms and providing counselors and psychologists speaking the language and dialect and understanding the Sudanese cultural context, to help refugees express their feelings and receive initial support, while providing safe spaces by establishing community centers in Sudanese assembly areas dedicated to group psychological support, stress management workshops and incorporating recreational activities that help restore feelings. With belonging and safety, and train volunteers and community leaders while providing them with basic skills to recognize signs of psychological distress and provide psychological first aid, to be the first line of defense in their community.
The most important point is to include psychological attention in any future voluntary return program to Sudan. Returning home is a dream and a goal, but it can be a new shock if the individual is not psychologically prepared.
Imagine a refugee returning to a destroyed house, a changed neighborhood, or facing a major community and family divide due to war. Without psychological preparation, the joy of returning can turn into new disappointment and depression.
Therefore, voluntary return programs must also be “psychological return” programs. This involves return preparation sessions, helping individuals set realistic expectations of what they will find, training in coping mechanisms in a post-conflict environment, and linking psychological support to reconstruction efforts. Psychological and social health services should continue in refugee return areas, to facilitate reintegration and build resilience to new challenges, and focus on children to ensure that there are educational and psychological programs in return areas that support children. Overcoming the trauma of war and rebuilding the feeling of belonging to the homeland.
Caring for the mental health of Sudanese refugees and displaced people is not only a humanitarian duty, but rather an investment in the future. The nation can only rise from the ashes with strong hands, sound mind and spirit. On this World Mental Health Day, let’s make supporting these exhausted lives a demonstration of our common humanity. Now is not just the time to fix what can be fixed on the outside, but also to fix what is broken on the inside.
