Displaced children at relief camps facing mental trauma: Dr Lenin
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 06 2023: Around 10 percent of the children above 10 years of age displaced by the ongoing conflict and are taking shelter at different relief camps across Manipur for more than four months are facing mental trauma, stated RIMS psychiatry department head Dr RK Lenin.

When talk about the impact of the ongoing conflict on children, Dr Lenin told The People's Chronicle that young children staying at relief camps after abandoning their homes since the eruption of conflict between the Meetei and Kuki communities on May 3 are facing mental trauma more particularly among those above 10 years of age and this is not a good sign.

The ongoing conflict or rather 'war' being termed by both the warring communities disrupted normal activities of children including sleep, food and enjoyment suddenly thereby causing fear, anxiety and stress among young children more particularly among those in the age group of 10 to 19 years.

Chance of teenagers staying at relief camps getting depression and anxiety is very high due to lack of privacy, sudden disruption of lifestyle and dependence on donated items including food.

Nevertheless, very young children seem to be unaffected as they continue to play with friends as usual at the camps as if nothing had happened, Dr Lenin said.

According to Dr Lenin, preventing loneliness and staying together with family members happily and constant commumcaton is the best treatment for those having mental health issues and young children must be prevented from hearing war news.

He also said that matured children should be encouraged to have courage and parents should also find ways for earning livelihood.

So far, help extended by public to relief camps is far more than done by the government and relief materials continue to pour in even after more than four months of the conflict, he added.

When asked about welfare programmes the government should take up for welfare of inmates of relief camps, Dr Lenin said that the government has been doing the needful at their best level but it would be better if some relief camps are club together at proper places so that treatment of mental health could be taken up more conveniently as frequent follow-up is necessary for mental health treatment.

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