International Organization for Migration (Geneva)
25 April 2008
press release
IOM has received US$ 504,000 from the Norwegian government to provide critical psychosocial support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kenya.
Norwegian Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Elisabeth Jacobsen made the announcement yesterday as she accompanied the Norwegian Minister for Environment and International Development on a tour of IDP camps in the North Rift Region.
Since early January, IOM has been working with Kenya's Department of Mental Health in providing psychosocial support to the IDPs through one-on-one, family, and group counselling in the IDP camps of Eldoret Showground, Timbora, and Burnt Forest in the North Rift Region.
The new funding will allow IOM to assist 50,000 direct beneficiaries and 170,000 indirect beneficiaries through support trauma counselling, including specialized child therapy trainings, and the establishment of counselling and recreation centres in the camps.
IOM has also provided technical assistance to conduct a rapid assessment of the psychosocial needs of the IDP population in order to gauge needs throughout the country, and particularly in the largest camps located in the Rift Valley Province. IOM has also provided capacity building support to the Kenya's Department of Mental Health.
IOM will also build capacity of the local communities by training community members in counselling and psychosocial support to provide sustainability to the psychosocial programme.
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