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In five years of war, Yemen has experienced every manner of explosive weapons—aerial bombs and missiles, artillery, mortars, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and much more. The explosions destroy bridges, ports, roads, hospitals, water systems, and generate long lasting civilian harm. When explosive weapons strike roads and bridges, they greatly increase the time it takes to re-supply cities. Such damage cuts deeply into food and water access, and has negative effects on population health.

The report highlights six case studies, showing the extent and impact of such bombings. One case study looks at the long-term impact on specific populations including: internally displaced persons; persons with disabilities; women and children.

A series of videos providing short reports from HI personnel on the potential impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities living in already difficult situations.

[English subtitles]  

More than 10% of the world’s 35 million displaced people are people with disabilities. People with disabilities and their families are at significant risk of discrimination, stigma, violence, and marginalisation, and get little access to adequate services in humanitarian camps. Disabled people are frequently sidelined during health sector planning in humanitarian camps, and healthcare access is a particular challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic, and measures necessary for its containment, pose a particular threat and challenge in humanitarian settings. Containment measures such as mass ‘stay-at-home' orders, social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine are often unsuitable for, or difficult to implement in, camp settings. People in humanitarian camps, then, need special consideration within the COVID-19 response. However, among people in humanitarian camps, people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to being left behind or overlooked in COVID-19 planning and programming. Their double vulnerability as refugees and disabled people warrants special consideration.

Evidence in considered and recommendations provided.

This manual aims to facilitate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) experts and managers in designing, implementing and evaluating community-based MHPSS (CB MHPSS) programmes, projects and activities for emergency-affected and displaced populations in humanitarian settings. It is specifically designed to support managers and experts hired by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, it can also be used, in its entirety or in some of its components, by MHPSS experts and managers working for IOM’s partners, including international and national governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), countries, donors and civil society groups.

The first chapter introduces concepts, models and principles of CB MHPSS work; the other chapters are operational and programmatic. These chapters are of two types: •

Those that have to do with the process of a CB MHPSS programme: 

Engaging with communities; - Assessing and mapping; - Psychosocial mobile teams; - Technical supervision and training; - Monitoring and evaluation; - Plus two annexes on coordination and ethical considerations. •

Those that introduce specific CB MHPSS activities: - Sociorelational and cultural activities; - Creative and art-based activities; - Rituals and celebrations; - Sport and play; - Non-formal education and informal learning; - Integration of mental health and psychosocial support in conflict transformation and mediation; - Integrated mental health and psychosocial support, and livelihood support; - Strengthening mental health and psychosocial support in the framework of protection; - Counselling; - Community-based support for people with severe mental disorders.

Mental health problems resulting from persecution and forced migration are very common among refugees and asylum seekers and evolve into a major public health challenge. Language barriers often prevent timely access to appropriate health care, leading to chronic trajectories and abortive social integration. Tools for multilingual screening and assessment could be of great benefit for this particularly vulnerable population as well as for policy makers. This study aimed at testing the reliability, feasibility and usability of the Multi-Adaptive Psychological Screening Software (MAPSS), a newly developed Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview Software (ACASI) for touchscreen devices, for screening purposes in a clinical setting. In a randomized cross-over design including both MAPSS and paper-pencil clinician-administered interviews, 30 treatment-seeking refugees completed clinical measures and a feasibility questionnaire to rate the user interface of MAPSS. Five professionals performed given tasks in MAPSS and completed usability questionnaires for the administration interface.

Conflict and Health 2017 11:18

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-017-0120-2

The aim of this paper is to provide a snapshot of the types of injuries caused by explosive weapons, such as those encountered by Handicap International (HI) while working with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Syria

This article "highlights the situation of people with disabilities displaced by natural disasters, with a particular focus on Haiti which on January 12, 2010 was hit by a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale. The article explores the opportunity for developing a series of best practices with regards to displaced people with disabilities in Haiti - practices that might be applicable to other natural disasters in the future"
Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol 102, No 2