Yemen / Anatolia
Fahimieh Al-Fateh, Public Information Officer at the United Nations Population Fund in Yemen for Anatolia:
An increasing demand for mental health services due to the ongoing conflict in addition to the Corona pandemic
In the event that funding is not received by the end of this October, 21 centers either specializing in psychological support or providing services will be closed
On Saturday, a UN spokeswoman said that mental health services in Yemen are “at risk” due to lack of funding.
This came in statements made to Anadolu Agency, Media Officer at the United Nations Population Fund in Yemen, Fahimia Al-Fateh, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10 of each year.
Al-Fateh explained: “There is an increasing demand for mental health services in Yemen, due to the ongoing conflict in addition to the Corona pandemic, but these services are now threatened by danger in light of the scarcity of funding.”
She added, “The United Nations Population Fund needs $ 9 million for the women’s protection program and psychological support programs until the end of 2020.”
The Women Protection Program provides multiple services for women, including medical, psychological and legal support.
Al-Fateh warned that if the funding is not received by the end of this October, 21 centers either specializing in psychological support or providing services will be closed in several governorates, including Ibb, Taiz (southwest), and Hadramout (east).
And she added, “This means that 350 thousand will not be able to access and access specialized services (medical, including psychological support), while 40 thousand of the most vulnerable will not be able to obtain psychological care.”
It warned that “this will immediately and greatly increase the likelihood that the most vulnerable will be exposed to severe risk of intimidation and life-threatening violence. Also, people who are currently receiving medication as part of their psychological care will be at great risk of negative and harmful practices.”
Al-Fateh pointed out that the United Nations Population Fund began in 2018 providing counseling to Yemenis through psychological support centers that provide specialized and clinical mental health care, including telephone assistance.
She stated that there are 6 psychological support centers supported by the United Nations Population Fund, currently operating across the country.
And she went on: “In response to the increasing demand for these services, the fund has increased the number of consultants available to provide remote consulting services through 18 free hotlines for consultations.”
She pointed out that “nearly 18,000 have received specialized psychological support through the free hotline since 2018, while more than 25,000 survivors of violence have received psychological support through personal counseling.”
For the sixth year in a row, Yemen has been witnessing a war between government forces, the Houthis, accused of receiving Iranian support, and controlling governorates, including the capital, Sanaa, since September 2014.
Since March 2015, an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been supporting government forces to confront the Houthis, while the UAE has spent huge sums of money to train and equip forces parallel to the legitimate government forces.
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