Gaza Community Mental Health Programme

Partner: Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP)

Country: Palestine

Contact person: Søs Nissen

Project description:
The organisation is particularly committed to helping three vulnerable groups: children, women and victims of torture and organised violence. GCMHP concentrates on strengthening these groups and their mental health. The organisation also works to combat the stigma associated with mental disorders in the Palestinian society.
At a more political level GCMHP cooperates with a number of Palestinian and international organisations on advocacy. In Gaza GCMHP is endeavouring to promote principles of democracy and human rights in the Palestinian society. Outside Palestine the objective is to encourage the international society to respect the Palestinian rights and thereby promote mental health in the area.
RCT supports GCMHP's overall programme activities in Gaza together with the governments of i.a. Switzerland and Holland and the Palestinagrupparne in Sweden LINK: http://www.palestinagrupperna.se/.

RCT also participates in information campaigns that focus on the situation in Gaza together with a number of similar institutions (such as EMHRN LINK: http://www.euromedrights.org/en/

Partner presentation:
GCMHP is a knowledge-based Palestinian NGO that works with mental health. The work is based on research, training, education and documentation. The organisation was one of the first to start providing locally based help to the population in the Gaza Strip in 1990. GCMHP is known for its health education programmes and for its important research in children and trauma. GCMHP runs three health centres. These centres provide psychological advice and support for social development. Part of the preventive work includes the offer of training of police officers, prison staff and staff for the healthcare system.

Context:
The war with Israel in 2008-2009 took the situation in Gaza from bad to worse. The area is characterised by a worsening of the economic as well as the political situation. And the facts that the Palestinians cannot leave Gaza and have a hard time finding work do not improve the situation. The siege of Gaza and the war have serious psychological consequences for the inhabitants. There is an extensive need for treatment of people with posttraumatic stress reactions who have symptoms such as flashback, anxiety, nightmares etc. The most vulnerable group is the children who because of domestic violence also exhibit an increasingly aggressive behaviour at school.