n late 2018, Ella Baron, a cartoonist on assignment with the Guardian, visited our clinic in Shatila refugee camp, Lebanon. She collected the testimonies of patients – mostly Syrian women – and MSF staff and produced the following illustrations, based on their stories.
With Ella’s illustrations, MSF psychologist Miriam Slikhanian shares her experiences of working with refugees in Shatila camp.
“Two years ago, I started working as a clinical psychologist at MSF’s clinic in Shatila refugee camp, in Beirut. I had expected that most of my work would be related to psychological trauma. But I soon learned that it was mostly related to the daily challenges of living as a refugee.
Women, here, are sometimes used by their husbands to vent their own distress. Many of them suffer violence on a regular basis – whether social, economic, verbal or physical. They are sometimes told to remain silent and strong, no matter what they feel inside. They toil for their husband and children while carrying the pain in their heart. Women, whose voices and tears can barely be heard, absorb care and compassion like a dry soil absorbs the rain.
As victims of violence, some also tend to take it out on their children. But through their tears of regret, I can see the love and compassion they have for their little ones.
MSF has been providing free psychological support for refugees in Shatila since 2013. A number of psychologists – including me – provide individual, family and group support for individuals of all ages. In 2017, over 3,000 individual mental health sessions were offered to the patients in Shatila and another neighbouring refugee camp called Burj Al Barajneh.
The patients I see every day have a variety of symptoms. Their mental health problems are largely precipitated by stressful events and by the situations they live. Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are very common reactions.
I help them cope with their emotional or psychological problems by listening empathically and providing validation of their feelings. I educate them about their symptoms and the impact of stressful events, and I teach them ways to overcome their mental health difficulties. Confidentiality and privacy are key in our sessions. We often work in multidisciplinary groups of social workers, doctors and nurses, to ensure the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of our patients.
Working as a psychologist in Shatila is challenging because, unlike other places where I’ve worked, the problems here are not purely related to mental health. It’s challenging to help a person with a mental health issue if their larger problem is that they are unable to feed their children or to find a safe place to stay.
Working here with MSF, I have learned that refugees are stuck in a limbo between the past and the present. On the one hand, they yearn to be in their countries, in their own houses, with their loved ones. But it is not a choice for them when their houses no longer exist, when they are at constant risk of death or have no means to sustain themselves. On the other hand, they wish to be in a safe place. But they are fighting daily to find enough food to eat, a safe place to shelter and people who regard them with respect.
In many ways, my work with refugees has a healing effect on me. I remember days when I had to fight back tears while at work. But at the same time, welcoming patients through my door, showing compassion towards their pain, receiving their gratitude for being listened to and receiving their smile afterwards, lifted my spirits.
My reward for working here is to see how people’s lives are changed after receiving our services. I’ve seen people start to accept the reality of their situation and develop resilience. I’ve seen people who have been able to change their circumstances through psychological support. And I’ve seen people who have started to have hope in humanity after realising that there was someone who cared.
My friends often ask me why, when I could work in a much better place, I choose to work here. My answer is always the same: ‘If everyone said this, no one would reach out to people who suffer every day of their lives.’
I believe that I am here for a reason, and I will do my tiny part for the wellbeing of people who suffer. For me, to see one smile on a broken face, one glimpse of hope in a hopeless heart, or one word of gratitude from lips that were silent, is enough to know that this work is worthwhile.”
MSF activities in Shatila Camp
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began working in Shatila in September 2013. To address the needs of its vulnerable population, the organization currently run a primary health care clinic and a women’s health centre to provide free of charge medical services including chronic diseases care, vaccinations, mental health services and Sexual reproductive health package. In addition, MSF is collaborating with local and international organizations to ensure an efficient referral system.
