RI to host post-tsunami mental health meeting
RI to host post-tsunami mental health meeting
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
International mental health experts are scheduled to meet in
Jakarta early next week to devise a psychosocial program for
people traumatized by the Dec. 26 tsunami, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
The meeting is being held at the initiative of Indonesia's
foreign ministry and the Non-Aligned Movement Center for South-
South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC), foreign ministry
spokesman Yuri Thamrin announced in Jakarta.
The two-day meeting will begin on Monday.
The objectives of the meeting are to get a common
understanding of the psychosocial support required in complex
emergencies and identify existing mental health problems and
share experiences in dealing with mental health problems in the
aftermath of a tsunami.
"The meeting will also identify issues to be addressed in
improving intersectoral collaboration among major stakeholders in
the provision of psychosocial support," Yuri said.
"It will then recommend that the affected countries undertake
specific measures and provide explicit assistance for tsunami
survivors," he said.
"Indonesia, as the country worst affected by the tsunami, is
in dire need of the experts and adequate instruments to help
survivors in Aceh and North Sumatra," he said.
The catastrophe claimed more than 200,000 lives in Aceh and
North Sumatra provinces, where foreign aid such as food and
financial aid has poured in to help ease the burden of the
survivors.
A number of survivors in affected countries who lost family
members have been traumatized and desperately need psychological
help.
He said that experts from countries affected by the tsunami
such as Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia would
take part in the meeting, while experts from Japan, Australia,
the United States, Turkey, Iran and international organizations
would give input.
"Our initiative to hold an experts' meeting shows our
commitment to support the efforts of affected countries and the
international community in providing assistance to those
experiencing serious psychosocial problems," Yuri said.