THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF HUMANITARIAN CRISES – A BETTER UNDERSTANDING FOR BETTER INTERVENTIONS

In this document, we describe the different crises situations in which ACF intervenes: natural disasters, conflicts, totalitarianism and extremism. We introduce the specific psychosocial impact on communities, families and children for each crisis situation.

Each year, ACF responds, through its emergency operations, to the vital needs of thousands of people facing humanitarian crises. These crises have many different causes, both natural and human: natural disasters, droughts, conflicts, totalitarianism, extremism, epidemics, etc.

These humanitarian crises, often highly complex from a material point of view, also cause profound changes on social and psychological aspects of individuals, within the families and communities.

Responding to such crises situations therefore involves a complex operational response, addressing psychosocial dimension. For this reason, and to increase the effectiveness of our humanitarian programmes and responses, it is essential that field workers understand the social and psychological impact of different types of humanitarian crisis on populations. An understanding of this aspect can thus support that such a component be integrated into ACF operational responses