REFUGEE REHABILITATION & DISASTER MANAGEMENTDr A Adeniran MBBS, MPH, FMCPH

Consultant Public Health PhysicianLagos State University (College of Medicine)Nigeria

Outline • Who is a refugee?• Causes of Refugee Situations/Disaster • Consequences• Disaster management• Rehabilitation: Definition, Types etc

Who is a Refugee?• Someone who has fled their country of origin and is at risk

of persecution because of race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership of a particular social group.

• Persecution usually means execution, torture, imprisonment without trial, mistreatment and/or other serious denial of rights

• ‘Refugee’ is an internationally accepted legal term

Causes of Refugees’ Situations• Man made Disasters: civil conflicts etc• Natural Disasters: earthquake, etc

• WHAT IS A DISASTER?

Consequences of Refugees Experiences

• Psychological: - anxiety - panic attacks - startle responses - flashbacks - depression - grief reactions - dissociation or numbing - sleeping problems - irritability or aggressiveness - emotional stress - eating disorders - psycho-sexual problems - - inability to plan for the future- pre-occupation with the past.

- Some people may also have symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including: ◗ intrusive thoughts, memories, flashbacks and nightmares of traumatic/persecutory content etc

Consequences

Physical - poor dental health resulting from poor nutrition, - lack of fluoridated water, poor dental hygiene practices and

limited dental care - infectious diseases including tuberculosis or intestinal parasites - injuries and disabilities such as musculoskeletal pain or

deafness resulting from war or torture- undiagnosed/under-managed hypertension, diabetes and

chronic pain - delayed growth and development among children - low levels of

immunization - Others: FGM, Sexual assaults etc

Consequences• Social- money - finding employment and being under-employed ◗- Housing – education & other lack of other social

protection

DISASTER MANAGEMENTWHAT IS A DISASTER?

• Sudden, unexpected, and widespread Adverse Event that leads to disruption to normal patterns of life. Such disruption is usually severe and may also be sudden, unexpected, and widespread.

• A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community. WHO

What Type of Disaster is this?- Earthquake - Volcanic eruption, - Tsunami, - Tropical cyclone (typhoon, hurricane), - Flood, - Landslide, - Bushfire (or wildfire), - Drought, - Epidemic, - Major accident,- Civil unrest.

General Effects of Disaster• Loss of life• Injury, • Damage to and destruction of property, • Damage to and destruction of subsistence and cash

crops, • Disruption of production, • Disruption of lifestyle, • Loss of livelihood, • Disruption to

essential services, • Damage to national infrastructure and disruption to governmental systems,

• National economic loss, and • Sociological and psychological after effects.

6 steps Cycle of Disaster Management

Agencies Responsible in Nigeria

•NEMA