Health professionals say that conflicts can cause deep and long-lasting stress and traumatic effects on communities, especially on individuals who witnessed or experienced the undesirable traumatic incidents of warfare; aside from its human and property costs.
It is obvious, conflicts have the capacity to threaten the wellbeing of citizens and impact them severely, disrupt local economies, lead to economic instability, and increase poverty rates. In general, conflicts could lead to disruptions in agricultural activities, trade, and other economic sectors that can have long-lasting consequences on the well-being of communities.
The conflict that took place in the northern part of the country has resulted in wide-ranging impacts on communities residing in the affected areas. A large number of people were compelled to flee the areas where they lived for long and to shelter in the adjacent areas in search of safety, accessing essential services, and maintaining their livelihoods. It has also caused loss of lives, injuries and destruction of infrastructure. Not only that, but this tragic event has also caused profound stress, trauma, and short and long-term psychological impacts on individuals and families.
Understanding the undesirable short and long term psychological impacts of the war, recently, the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) in collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute provided a psychosocial training for leaders and employees drawn from various zones and woredas of Tigray State in a bid to heal the injuries caused by the conflict on individuals engaged in job creation enterprise, technical and vocational institution, manufacturing and service rendering organization, among others working under the Ministry.
Speaking on the opening occasion, Tigray State Education and Training Job Opportunity Bureau Head Genet Arefe said that the conflict has negatively impacted the psychology of the workforce; it is the right time to provide support to the communities to adopt a comprehensive and context-specific approach.
It is high time to ensure access to trauma-informed care and counseling services for individuals and families who have experienced the trauma of the conflict, the Head remarked.
Expressing her gratitude to the Ministry for organizing psychosocial training in collaboration with the Institute, she urged to sustain the assistance and expressed her office’s readiness to work with the Ministry.
Advisor to Deputy State Minister of Employers and Employees Affairs Sector with MoLS, Dereje Fikre for his part said that ensuring the safety and well-being of affected citizens is one of the duty and responsibilities of the Ministry and it will keep on working, joining hands with the general public and local communities.
As to him, the Ministry is working in partnership with the State’s Job Creation, Technical and Vocational Training Bureau to provide the necessary support by identifying the damage caused to the State’s Job Creation and Enterprise, technical and vocational training institutions, manufacturing and service rendering institutions and employers and employees.
Stating that the Ministry of Labor and Skills has provided office supplies to institutions affected by the conflict in earlier times, he said that it will keep on addressing the problems through organizing platforms to help the communities at the grass-roots level.
He said that the office has previously provided support for office supplies that can be used for damaged institutions.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Health and Psychosocial Instructor at Ayer Tena Health Science and Business College, Mulatu Gebermariam said that conflicts has produced severe impacts on communities which in turn could affect them negatively not to have healthy relationships and partake in productive engagements; so working on to addressing the trauma is necessary.
Mentioning that exposure to war and war related incidents cause people to different kinds of stress and trauma, and make them more prone to psychological disorders, he said that the conflict outbreak in northern Ethiopia affected a huge number of communities. Thus, it is high time to assist communities who are found in post-traumatic disorder.
In fact, now, the war is concluded; however, the trauma it left is there; and the communities are found in grim realities struggling with the negative consequences of post conflict traumatic disorder, he added.
Health professionals should help communities with post conflict traumatic disorder. They should provide safe spaces within the community where individuals can gather, share their experiences, and support one another. These spaces can serve as platforms for fostering solidarity, promoting social cohesion and healing psychological and emotional traumas and bringing them back to good health.
The healing process may take time and require sustained efforts. However, according to Mulatu, providing effective and sustainable psychosocial support is one of the mechanisms that support healing communities from traumatic disorders.
“It is essential to prioritize community engagement, exercise cultural values, and sustain long-term support to promote resilience and rebuild the social fabric of the affected regions,” underlined.
The effort made by the Ministry of Labor and Skills along with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) is commendable. The State should facilitate community reconciliation and dialogue processes to address grievances, promote understanding, and restore trust among different groups affected by the conflict.
“In my view, the communities at the grass-root level, local social structures like Idir, elders, and respected individuals who can play a vital role should be engaged in the efforts,” he underlined.
He further noted that continuous engagements should be put in place in the communities affected by the conflict. It is crucial for addressing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and supporting individuals who have experienced trauma.
The best approach to enhancing the effort and addressing the problem, organizing outreach programs is instrumental. Moreover, building trust and conducting informational campaigns through various channels, including community gatherings, local media, social media, and door-to-door visits could be used to reach out communities.
The training brought together over two hundred participants. And, according to them, the training was timely and relevant because it has been framed with relevant contents that could help communities to develop effective skills in stress management, return to normal life and handle the traumatic disorder resulting from the conflict, it was learnt. BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 25 AUGUST 2023
