Page 93 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

of them work at Türkiye Public Hospitals Authority of Türkiye’s central or provincial
organizations, assigned by the Ministry and the interpreter needs are met by the support
of the international organizations such as World Health Organization or UNHCR.
Within this context, the projects of AFAD (Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency
Management Authority) and instruments for pre-Accession Period (IPA) Projects and
needs of the interpreter are tried to be met in our hospitals by service procurement.
There is no permanent staff working within the body of the Ministry in this scope,
therefore, within the context of the “Grant Project” made with the EU, the employment
of 960 bilingual (Arabic-Turkish) patient orientation staff have started working.
IX. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT

The word “psychosocial” implies the relationship between psychological and social
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factors, which interact dynamically with each other in a continuous way. Armed
conflicts and natural disasters cause significant psychological and social distress in the
affected population. The psychological and social effects of emergencies can be acute
in the short term, but they can also damage long-term mental health and psychosocial
well-being. These effects can threaten peace, human rights, and development. For
this reason, one of the priorities in emergencies is to protect and improve people’s
mental health and psychosocial well-being. To be successful in this regard requires the
coordinated activities of all human actors including the public and civil society. 55

The definition of “psychosocial support”, which should be included as a priority in
this framework, is a whole of multidisciplinary service that is carried out in each stage
of the disaster including the prevention of psychological maladaptation and disorders
that may arise in the event of a disaster, crisis, trauma or difficult living conditions;
re-establishment or development of relationships at the individual, group, family, and
community levels; being aware of how one’s own capacities were affected during the
period when they return to normal life; actualize their resurgence; the enhancement of
their ability to cope, recover, and heal against possible disasters and emergencies that
may arise in the future in the community and the support of aid workers. 56
54
Association of Psychosocial Services in Disasters (accessed January 1, 2017); available from http://koutab.
kocaeli.edu.tr/dosyalar/APHB.pdf, 6
55
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Mental Health and Psychological Support Guide in Emergency
Situations (accessed January 26, 2017), available from https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/
legacy_files/Guidelines%20IASC%20Mental%20 Health%20Psychosocial%20%28with%20index%29.pdf, 1.
56
Department of Psychosocial Support in Immigration, Disaster and Emergency, Report Number 107981 on
“Services Provided to Foreigners on the Temporary Protection Status,” October 17, 2016, Ministry of Family
and Social Policy.

SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT 93