World Humanitarian Day is a memorial day of the bombing terror on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which happened on 19 August 2003. 22 people were killed, including multiple humanitarian aid workers.
PTSD is a post-traumatic stress disorder caused by exposure to traumatic events. PTSD causes symptoms like intrusion such as recurring distressing memories, negative mood, dissociation, avoidance, and arousal. It requires constant treatment and support.
Humanitarian aid workers work in the most dangerous and extreme environment to support victims in violence or disasters. They are constantly exposed to danger and traumatic events. Studies mention that a lot of humanitarian aid workers after the missions face multiple mental illnesses such as PTSD. General adults face only a 3~8% risk of generalized anxiety disorders, a 12% risk for depression, an 8% risk of PTSD, and a 10~20% of hazardous alcohol use.
However, humanitarian aid workers face a 31% risk of generalized anxiety disorders, a 25% risk for depression, a 36% risk of PTSD, and a 25% risk for hazardous alcohol use. Also, the continual rise of the danger and threats are increasing the possibility of having mental health issues among the aid workers. The possibility of developing a psychological problem because of aid work has increased along with the rise in levels of disease, injury, kidnapping, and assault. As a result, expressions of traumatic stress have become the norm rather than an exception.
The work humanitarians are doing is so important and we have to recognize and raise awareness about the issues surrounding these topics. There is so much danger that they put themselves in on a daily basis, but that does not stop when they come back from missions. Mental health, and how their jobs might affect it, is long-term. Showing support and raising awareness is crucial when it comes to professions like these.
Sources:
United Nations. (n.d.). World Humanitarian Day 19 August. Retrieved August 18, 2021, from https://www.un.org/en/observances/humanitarian-day
Macpherson, R., & Burkle, F. (2021). Humanitarian Aid Workers: The Forgotten First Responders. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36(1), 111-114. doi:10.1017/S1049023X20001326
"Aid Worker Security Database | Aid Worker Security Database''. Aidworkersecurity.Org, 2021, https://aidworkersecurity.org Accessed 18 Aug 2021.
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