My trip to Jordan with International Medical Corps gave me an opportunity to see a side of the Syrian refugee crisis that I did not expect: happiness. Whether it emanated from the faces of children at the Makani Centers in Amman or Irbid, or the new mom in Azraq camp who treasured feeling safe with …
After more than two years of occupation, and following a nine-month-long battle between the so-called Islamic State and Iraqi-led forces, the vibrant city of Mosul—Iraq’s second-largest city and capital of Nineveh Province—was liberated from the Islamic State in July 2017. Six months later, the Iraqi government declared victory over the terrorist organization, known worldwide for …
By official estimates, 1.4m people have poured into Jordan from Syria’s civil war alone. Disaster-relief groups like the International Medical Corps, which runs the Jabal Amman clinic, came to help.
Note: The names of the people in this story have been changed for their protection. Razan, a 26-year-old married woman and a mother of three, was experiencing symptoms of depression such as emotional distress and isolation. She would often find herself crying for no reason, was having trouble sleeping and had been isolating herself from …
Last month International Medical Corps recognized World Mental Health Day (WMHD) in our programs across the world, hosting community events aimed at educating, increasing awareness and debunking myths surrounding mental health. This year’s theme was “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World,” in recognition of the ever-increasing number of young people exposed to …
On September 7, 2017, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off of the southern coast of Mexico. It was the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in more than a century, with the vast majority of the damage and loss of life occurring in Oaxaca and Chiapas States—two of the poorest states in Mexico. Just 12 days …
In a world full of violent and sudden crises, quieter and more pervasive struggles can often be overlooked. Despite rarely attracting major headlines, mental illness accounts for 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide. This constitutes a silent emergency, the annual cost of which will rise to $6 trillion by 2030. Yet despite …
