Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an essential element of crisis response. It caters to the urgent mental health and wellbeing needs of persons affected by displacement and emergencies. Additionally, it makes crisis response in the humanitarian, development, peace nexus more effective. MHPSS saves lives and plays a role in transitioning from urgent humanitarian action to prevention, recovery, and resilience. Yet, we still lack the resources required for an efficient response and for sustainable mental health and psychosocial support systems.

By exploring the impact of existing initiatives driven by local actors and communities, and building a bridge to global approaches and tools, this session aims to inspire actions that can secure the full integration of MHPSS across our joint humanitarian and crisis response. Participants are invited to interact with national and global actors about facilitating and ensuring the integration of MHPSS across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus. An integration that will significantly impact the wellbeing and recovery of communities. Co-hosted by DG ECHO, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, GIZ, IFRC, the Iraqi Alliance for Disability, the MHPSS Collaborative, Save the Children, and UNICEF.

Organisers:

Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DG ECHO, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ, Save the Children, MHPSS Collaborative, UNICEF, IFRC Psychosocial Centre

Speakers :

• Hashim Al Azzawi, Iraqi Association of Disability Organizations
• Joyce Jalinne Caballero Bernal, Colombia Red Cross
• Ruma Khondaker, Save the Children Bangladesh
• Elke Löbel, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
• Marriët Schuurman, Ministry of Forein Affairs, the Netherlands
• Yusuf Abba Tijjani, Grow Strong Foundation Nigeria
• Carmen Valle Trabadelo, IASC Reference Group on MHPSS in Emergency Settings

Facilitator: Rozy Kassab, Youth Ambassador at WarChild Sweden