Acciones tomadas:
Much of DRC’s focus has been to continue to build buy-in from partners on the importance of MHPSS as an integrated part of all interventions, build consensus of the approaches used in the RCRC Movement and strengthen partner capacities to deliver quality MHPSS interventions. Through Movement partners and other Danish RC has pushed for inclusion of mental health and psychosocial needs from early stages of response, with strong focus on the needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic – both at national and international level, e.g. at the WHA, ECOSOC HLPF, and UNGA through 2020-21. DRC has also built alliances in DK w. other CSOs, Copenhagen University, DIIS, etc. to increase attention to mental health and psychosocial needs, and inclusion in the new Danish strategy for development and humanitarian assistance.
Since 2019, Danish Red Cross has co-chaired with Save the Children Demark the CSO network for MHPSS actors in Denmark including Dignity. Together these partners succeeded in ensuring MHPSS was mentioned in the Danish MFA development strategy 2022-2025.
In 2022 DRC co-hosted with the Danish MFA the first ever Nordic Conference on MHPSS in fragile and humanitarian settings. The conference was organized together with the Danish CSO MHPSS network . More than 60 actors across governments, civil society, UN agencies, academia, private foundations, institutional and government donors and youth organizations participated in the conference. The actors shared and exchanged ideas, formed partnerships and inspired new ways of working to achieve their common goals and leveraging their shared values as a region.
This led to the development of the Copenhagen Declaration and establishment of a Nordic MHPSS network showing the commitment amongst Nordic Actors to address MHPSS needs in armed conflicts and other situations of violence, natural disaster and other emergencies (https://www.rodekors.dk/sites/rodekors.dk/files/2022-10/final%202022%20CPH%20Declaration%20on%20MHPSS.pdf) which recognizes that people of all ages and gender identities living in fragile and humanitarian settings are directly exposed to violence, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), loss and other distressing circumstances and suffer indirect effects, such as the disruption of access to services, protection and support systems that individuals, families, communities and societies depend on, which are further exacerbated by structural inequality, poverty, oppression and discrimination.
This led to the development of the Copenhagen Declaration and establishment of a Nordic MHPSS network showing the commitment amongst Nordic Actors to address MHPSS needs in armed conflicts and other situations of violence, natural disaster and other emergencies
From 2020 – 2023, DRC has supported its partners to deliver MHPSS more than 2 million people. In addition, around 50.000 volunteers and staff in DRC bilateral partnership countries have been trained to deliver MHPSS. DRC has increased its MHPSS human resources at HQ level while maintaining presences of MHPSS specialist at country level to ensure quality and impact of the implemented/supported activities. In addition, DRC has focused on strengthening the capacity of its roster to ensure that the MHSPS delegates on the roster are ready to respond to the varied MHPSS needs during emergencies.
DRC continues to be committed to facilitate and strengthen participation by local partners and community representatives in regional and international policy processes and events related to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), to ensure their analysis of needs and concerns are included in relevant policy forums and dialogues. This was exemplified by supporting (through DRCs seat in the MHPSS Roadmap Coordination Group) Colombia Red Cross and IFRC MHPSS officer participation in the Global Mental Health Summit in Argentina in October 2023. In addition, DRC supported a number of National Societies (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Mali, Malawi) to develop MHPSS frameworks and operational plans operationalizing the Movement MHPSS Policy. Throughout 2023 DRC also worked towards the signing of a new partnership framework agreement turning the current IFRC PS Centre into an International Movement MHPSS hub. (This agreement was signed by the principles from ICRC, IFRC and DRC in January 2024.).
DRC is co-leading and participating in several RC Movement working groups to support the implementation of the 33IC Resolution and the Movement MHPSS policy, covering PFA, comprehensive approaches and policy influencing. The Movement MHPSS resolution/policy has been used to guide and support partner NSs to develop MHPSS operational frameworks and plans. In addition, Danish RC has supported regional MHPSS network meetings with the aim to develop regional MHPSS frameworks.
DRC has seconded staff to the global Covid-19 response and to the IFRC secretariat in Geneva and Budapest, and deployed MHPSS delegates for larger emergencies such as Cyclone Freddy in Malawi, the earthquake in Syria, the conflict in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan and Ethiopia responding to the MHPSS needs in close collaboration with RCRC partners and external MHPSS actors (like Dignity).Covid-19 has also brought about an increased focus on awareness raising on SGBV and child protection.
During the COVID-19 response, MHPSS was a key integral part of all DRC country responses and provided an opportunity to mainstream Psychosocial First Aid (PFA) and basic PSS across the entire portfolio including in countries with lower PSS capacity. Packages for online and face to face PFA trainings developed, incl. PFA for SGBV survivors. Many of the DRC used tools and approaches, incl. COVID-tools, tools for NCD and the YMR program are based on expressed needs and experiences of affected people.
In contexts where DRC has a longer standing engagement on MHPSS with our partners, the focus has been on deepening the strategic engagement and scale up activities during sudden onset emergencies.
Due to the longstanding partnership with URCS in Ukraine, a good foundation existed for continuing the expansion of MHPSS in 2023. DRC supports URCS to coordinate MHPSS country-wide, beyond the movement.
In Myanmar DRC supports MRCS in strengthening their MHPSS capacity within mobile health clinics through co-facilitation of trainings in Psychological First Aid (PFA); awareness raising; and child friendly space activities. In addition, DRC support MRCS to scale up activities linked to caring for staff and volunteers. As an important element to elevate existing capacities of MRCS in their management of including MHPSS in emergency response, the global MHPSS advisor directly provided support in country throughout 2023. Mothers’ clubs are supported and trained on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) including menstrual hygiene, and on prevention of SGBV. Trained mothers’ club members conduct regular awareness raising sessions in their respective villages. Community leaders are sensitized on management and leadership for women empowerment. Also, Malawi RC is venturing into community-based MHPSS because of DRC’s efforts to secure buy in for this approach from local management. In 2023, DRC supported MRCS to integrate MHPSS in their emergency response, primarily focusing on PFA and Caring for staff and volunteers.
In Afghanistan, youth clubs form the basis for volunteers to conduct PSS and social cohesion activities in local communities. In Iraq, Syria, and Palestine DRC supported assessments of specific needs of vulnerable youth in designing targeted activities to enhance life skills through an interactive youth-to-youth methodology developed together with DRCY with a PS focus. DRC consider the Life Skill methodology as a strong psychosocial tool to promote all aspects of well-being in the lives of youth. In Afghanistan, DRC continued supporting access to MHPSS services in primary health care in four districts reaching in total 78.428 persons with health and MHPSS. Through the continued support on MHPSS provided by DRC to ARCS, the ARCS mandate related to MHPSS was clarified at regional and branch director level after the de-facto administration of Taliban took over the power in Afghanistan. Volunteers’ engagement under the Mobile Health Teams operation areas established good coordination between the community and the staff incl MHPSS of the Mobile Health Teams, which led for the community members for more acceptance of the ARCS/DRC staff allowing for M&E activities. The project contributed to spread knowledge and capacity to the local community on coping mechanism on stress management during the crisis and disasters. Finally, primary health care and MHPSS services were highlighted at the ARCS leadership presentation the partnership meeting in Doha in 2023 as key areas for further support within the ARCS including caring for staff and volunteers.
In Iraq, joint interventions (British RC, Danish RC, Iraq RCS) focused on enhancing resilience, safety and wellbeing of vulnerable IDP and refugee women, men and children. The integrated program focused on increasing the knowledge and awareness amongst the IDP and refugee populations in the camps on MHPSS, wellbeing, and SGBV as well as improve mental health and psychological wellbeing of the target population through a comprehensive MHPSS approach; and enhance the economic wellbeing and livelihoods of the most vulnerable and at-risk households through the provision of skills trainings and multipurpose cash assistance.
In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the project targets children and youth and integrated activities around protection and rights as part of the MHPSS interventions. Focussed and structured group sessions are offering space and opportunity to listen, to connect and support each in a safe, confidential, and secure environment in community spaces. The creation of Community based Committees, having communities and service providers closer to each other for representation, enable BDRCS and other agencies to promote and escalate to other layers of decision making. BDRCS therefore provide a platform for community people to voice their concerns and get heard.
Also, in Lebanon DRC continued its support to caring for staff and volunteers, through the LRC’s peer support programme, which has seen an increase in the support to the emergency response staff and volunteers. LRC recognize the need to institutionalizing this support as part of their broader duty of care for staff and volunteers across all their units/departments.
As the conflict broke out in Sudan May 2023, DRC and SRCS due to the longstanding partnership were able to shift the focus of the operation and effectively respond to the escalating conflict and displacement crisis in Sudan. Redirecting focus on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) alongside emergency assistance, strategically aligned with the acute needs of the affected populations. Additionally, this contributed to the overall efficiency and sustainability of the project, maximizing its impact despite the complex challenges posed by the conflict. A joint programme implemented in partnership with AfHad Trauma Centre (ATC) has focused on ensuring holistic services for survivors of SGBV and trafficking. In this intervention British RC, Danish RC and Sudan RCS partnered with ATC in a consortium to address the identified needs and provide accommodation and survivor-centered holistic support in Safe Houses (UNHCR Kassala Safe Houses), including facilitating access to specialised MHPSS services by AfHad Trauma Centre.
Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and DRC continued their strategic engagement on MHPSS during 2023 which allowed for quickly upscaling MHPSS services and deployment of a DRC global advisor to respond to the needs after the 7th of October outbreak of hostilities. PRCS reached 35,008 people with basic psychosocial support in Gaza from October to December 2023. In total throughout 2023, 848 caregivers and 2500 children were reached with session designed for these target groups, around 850 persons were reached with individual counseling while 1800 people were referred to more specialized services. For World Mental Health Day, PRCS’s MHPSS and Youth Departments reached 1,180,355 people through campaign on social media platforms.
To ensure meaningful inclusion of children and youth, DRC engages the expertise and resources of Danish Red Cross Youth (DRCY) in the international operation. The engagement has a particular focus on inspiring and empowering young people to take responsibility in their local communities and RCRC NSs. In 2023 DRCY deployed 14 Danish youth volunteers to partner with local youth leaders in 5 different countries. Together they start new initiatives for other youth or conduct trainings on youth-to youth approaches. One example is the Life Skills approach, which is used in the SPA-funded project in Kenya and in Myanmar. The youth engaging in the Life Skills activities in the informal settlements report enhanced well-being linked to a perceived sense of safety and connectedness.
