Articles

Sexual violence against women and girls in South Sudan

This Letter to the Editor is in reference to the article by Murphy M, Ellsberg M and Contreras-Urbina M, “Nowhere to go: disclosure and help-seeking behaviors for survivors of violence against women and girls ...

Authors: Dilshad Jaff

Accountability strategies for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in humanitarian settings: a scoping review

Many of the 35 million women and girls aged 15–49 requiring humanitarian assistance have inadequate access to the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to which they are entitled. Ensuring accountabili...

Authors: Marta Schaaf, Victoria Boydell, Mallory C. Sheff, Christina Kay, Fatemeh Torabi and Rajat Khosla

Displacement-related factors influencing marital practices and associated intimate partner violence risk among Somali refugees in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia: a qualitative study

Child and forced marriage have negative health consequences including increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) for women and girls. War and humanitarian crises may impact decision-making around marria...

Authors: Vandana Sharma, Adaugo Amobi, Samuel Tewolde, Negussie Deyessa and Jennifer Scott

Mental health and psychosocial support for families of missing persons in Sri Lanka: A retrospective cohort study

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has developed its ‘Accompaniment model’ to address the multi-faceted needs of relatives of people who go missing during armed conflict. In Sri Lanka an Accom...

Authors: Ida Andersen, Bhava Poudyal, Arundathi Abeypala, Carla Uriarte and Rodolfo Rossi

Obituary for Dr. Peter Salama

Authors: Paul Spiegel

Correction to: Injury-related deaths before and during the Islamic State insurgency – Baghdad, Iraq, 2010–2015

The original publication of this article [1] contained an incorrect author name.

Authors: Matthew Goers, Eva Leidman, Abdul-Salam Saleh Sultan, Ahmed Hassan and Oleg Bilukha

A validation study of the Zanmi Lasante Depression Symptom Inventory (ZLDSI) in a school-based study population of transitional age youth in Haiti

The Zanmi Lasante Depression Symptom Inventory (ZLDSI) is a screening tool for major depression used in 12 primary care clinics in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Although previously validated in a clinic-based sampl...

Authors: Rupinder K. Legha, Margaret E. Gerbasi, Mary C. Smith Fawzi, Eddy Eustache, Tatiana Therosme, J. Reginald Fils-Aime, Giuseppe J. Raviola, Emmeline Affricot, Ermaze Louis Pierre, Yoldie Alcindor, Jennifer Severe, Katherine A. Boyd, David J. Grelotti, Sarah Darghouth, Andrew Rasmussen and Anne E. Becker

Episodes of violence suffered by migrants transiting through Libya: a cross-sectional study in “Médecins du Monde’s” reception and healthcare centre in Seine-Saint-Denis, France

The Central Mediterranean Route, passing through Libya, is one of the most dangerous for migrants. Episodes of violence have been documented but have not been accurately quantified. The objective of the study ...

Authors: L. Reques, E. Aranda-Fernandez, C. Rolland, A. Grippon, N. Fallet, C. Reboul, N. Godard and N. Luhmann

Male and LGBT survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations: a realist review of health interventions in low-and middle-income countries

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) against women and girls has been the subject of increasing research and scholarship. Less is known about the health of men, boys and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender ...

Authors: Ligia Kiss, Meaghen Quinlan-Davidson, Laura Pasquero, Patricia Ollé Tejero, Charu Hogg, Joachim Theis, Andrew Park, Cathy Zimmerman and Mazeda Hossain

Introduction to the special collection: developing valid psychological measures for populations impacted by humanitarian disasters

Authors: Andrew Rasmussen and Nuwan Jayawickreme

Addressing noncommunicable diseases among urban refugees in the Middle East and North Africa - a scoping review

More than 5.5 million Syrian refugees have fled violence and settled in mostly urban environments in neighboring countries. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounts for 6% of the global populati...

Authors: Zahirah Z. McNatt

Injury-related deaths before and during the Islamic State insurgency – Baghdad, Iraq, 2010–2015

Following a period of low intensity conflict during 2009–2012, the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (or Islamic State) in 2013 was associated with a resurgence of violence in Baghdad, Iraq’s c...

Authors: Matthew Goers, Eva Leidman, Abdul-Salam Saleh Sultan, Ahmed Hassan and Oleg Bilukha

Challenges and lessons learned in re-filming the WHO mhGAP training videos for Sri Lankan context - a qualitative study

Understanding and addressing the unmet mental health needs burden in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka is the subject of the COMGAP-S two-phase study. Phase Two involves the implementation of the World Health...

Authors: Shannon Doherty, Giselle Dass, Anne Edward, Gergana Manolova and Madonna Solomon

Nowhere to go: disclosure and help-seeking behaviors for survivors of violence against women and girls in South Sudan

Despite high rates of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in conflict and humanitarian contexts, many survivors do not tell anyone about their experience or seek help from support r services (e.g. health, ...

Authors: Maureen Murphy, Mary Ellsberg and Manuel Contreras-Urbina

Applying trauma systems concepts to humanitarian battlefield care: a qualitative analysis of the Mosul trauma pathway

Trauma systems have been shown to save lives in military and civilian settings, but their use by humanitarians in conflict settings has been more limited. During the Battle of Mosul (October 2016–July 2017), t...

Authors: Kent Garber, Adam L. Kushner, Sherry M. Wren, Paul H. Wise and Paul B. Spiegel

Mobile clinics in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review

Despite the widespread reliance on mobile clinics for delivering health services in humanitarian emergencies there is little empirical evidence to support their use. We report a narrative systematic review of ...

Authors: Catherine R. McGowan, Louisa Baxter, Claudio Deola, Megan Gayford, Cicely Marston, Rachael Cummings and Francesco Checchi

Opportunities and challenges for delivering non-communicable disease management and services in fragile and post-conflict settings: perceptions of policy-makers and health providers in Sierra Leone

The growing burden of non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries presents substantive challenges for health systems. This is also the case in fragile, post-conflict and post-Ebola Sierra Leo...

Authors: Sophie Witter, Guanyang Zou, Karin Diaconu, Reynold G. B. Senesi, Ayesha Idriss, John Walley and Haja Ramatulai Wurie

The refugee post-migration stress scale (RPMS) – development and validation among refugees from Syria recently resettled in Sweden

Despite the growing recognition of the impact of post-resettlement factors on the mental health of refugees, a clear definition of the concept of post-migration stress, as well as an updated, valid instrument ...

Authors: Andreas Malm, Petter Tinghög, Jurgita Narusyte and Fredrik Saboonchi

Household recovery in Mosul one year after the defeat of ISIS

Widespread devastation to structures and households in Mosul occurred during the three years of ISIS control and the military liberation campaign by Iraqi forces assisted by coalition forces. Military operatio...

Authors: R. Lafta, M. Al-Nuaimi, L. R. Sultan and G. Burnham

Violent conflict and breastfeeding: the case of Iraq

This study explores the relationship between armed conflict and breastfeeding practices of Iraqi mothers. To date, the relationship between violent conflict and breastfeeding is surprisingly understudied. Espe...

Authors: Vidya Diwakar, Michael Malcolm and George Naufal

Social ecological factors associated with experiencing violence among urban refugee and displaced adolescent girls and young women in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Research on violence targeting urban forcibly displaced adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is limited, particularly regarding polyvictimization (exposure to multiple forms of violence). Yet there is a glo...

Authors: Carmen H. Logie, Moses Okumu, Simon Mwima, Robert Hakiza, Kibathi Peter Irungi, Peter Kyambadde, Emmanuel Kironde and Manjulaa Narasimhan

Dua Ti Dawa Ti: understanding psychological distress in the ten districts of the Kashmir Valley and community mental health service needs

An extensive body of research exists looking at the level of psychological distress in populations affected by political conflict. Recommended response to psychological distress in humanitarian crises is still...

Authors: Tambri Housen, Shabnum Ara, Akmal Shah, Showkat Shah, Annick Lenglet and Giovanni Pintaldi

Trauma in the Kashmir Valley and the mediating effect of stressors of daily life on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety

The negative psychological impact of living in a setting of protracted conflict has been well studied, however there is a recognized need to understand the role that non-conflict related factors have on mediat...

Authors: Tambri Housen, Annick Lenglet, Showkat Shah, Helal Sha, Shabnum Ara, Giovanni Pintaldi and Alice Richardson

A forgotten group during humanitarian crises: a systematic review of sexual and reproductive health interventions for young people including adolescents in humanitarian settings

Young people including adolescents face barriers to healthcare and increased risk of poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH), which are exacerbated in humanitarian settings. Our systematic review assessed th...

Authors: Lauren Jennings, Asha S. George, Tanya Jacobs, Karl Blanchet and Neha S. Singh

Mortality and health survey, Walikale, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017: an example of the use of survey data for humanitarian program planning

During humanitarian crises, health information systems are often lacking and surveys are a valuable tool to assess the health needs of affected populations. In 2013, a mortality and health survey undertaken by...

Authors: Eve Robinson, Vittoria Crispino, Adelaide Ouabo, Francklin Brice Soung Iballa, Ronald Kremer, María Eugenia Serbassi, Marit van Lenthe and Antonio Isidro Carrion Martin

Researching violence against women and girls in South Sudan: ethical and safety considerations and strategies

Globally, it is estimated that at least one out of every three women experiences violence by an intimate partner and/or non-partner throughout their lifetime. Women and girls are at even higher risk of violenc...

Authors: Manuel Contreras-Urbina, Alexandra Blackwell, Maureen Murphy and Mary Ellsberg

Programmatic implications for promotion of handwashing behavior in an internally displaced persons camp in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI) account for 30% of deaths among children displaced due to humanitarian emergencies. A wealth of evidence demonstrates that handwashing with soap prevents both di...

Authors: Lauren S. Blum, Anicet Yemweni, Victoria Trinies, Mimi Kambere, Foyeke Tolani, Jelena V. Allen, Thomas Handzel, Susan Cookson and Pavani K. Ram

Socio-cultural change in conflict and post conflict settings: five decades of giving birth in Cambodia

This paper explores the changing experience of giving birth in Cambodia over a 53-year period. During this time, Cambodian people experienced armed conflict, extreme privation, foreign invasion, and civil unrest.

Authors: Bandeth Ros, Gillian Lê, Suzanne Fustukian and Barbara McPake

What drives mortality among HIV patients in a conflict setting? A prospective cohort study in the Central African Republic

Provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in conflict settings is rarely attempted and little is known about the expected patterns of mortality. The Central African Republic (CAR) continues to have a low cover...

Authors: Thomas Crellen, Charles Ssonko, Turid Piening, Marcel Mbeko Simaleko, Karen Geiger and M. Ruby Siddiqui

Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among Syrian refugees residing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq

Since the Syrian civil war began in March 2011, more than half of the Syrian population was forced to escape from their homes, and more than 5 million of them fled their country. The aim of the present study i...

Authors: Harem Nareeman Mahmood, Hawkar Ibrahim, Katharina Goessmann, Azad Ali Ismail and Frank Neuner

Beyond mapping: a case for geospatial analytics in humanitarian health

The humanitarian sector is increasingly adopting geospatial data to support operations. However, the utilization of these data in the humanitarian health arena is predominantly in thematic map format, thereby ...

Authors: P. Gregg Greenough and Erica L. Nelson

Effect of armed conflict on vaccination: evidence from the Boko haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria

Armed conflicts can have severe adverse effects on population health, both directly and indirectly, through the destruction of health care systems. This paper evaluates the causal effect of the Boko Haram insu...

Authors: Ryoko Sato

The governmental health policy-development process for Syrian refugees: an embedded qualitative case studies in Lebanon and Ontario

The unprecedented amount of resources dedicated to humanitarian aid has led many stakeholders to demand the use of reliable evidence in humanitarian aid decisions to ensure that desired impacts are achieved at...

Authors: Ahmad Firas Khalid, John N. Lavis, Fadi El-Jardali and Meredith Vanstone

Ecologies of care: mental health and psychosocial support for war-affected youth in the U.S.

Youth resettling to the U.S. from conflict-affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) face countless challenges. As they cope with their experiences of armed conflict and forced migration, t...

Authors: Cyril Bennouna, Maria Gandarilla Ocampo, Flora Cohen, Mashal Basir, Carine Allaf, Michael Wessells and Lindsay Stark

Exposure to family and organized violence and associated mental health in north Korean refugee youth compared to south Korean youth

Studies on populations affected by organized violence have shown elevated levels of family violence against children. This form of violence has been found to contribute to children’s psychopathology independen...

Authors: Jinme Park, Claudia Catani, Katharin Hermenau and Thomas Elbert

A systematic review of monitoring and evaluation indicators for sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian settings

To conduct a comprehensive mapping of published indicators for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and outcomes in humanitarian settings.

Authors: Elena T. Broaddus-Shea, Loulou Kobeissi, Osama Ummer and Lale Say

“With every passing day I feel like a candle, melting little by little.” experiences of long-term displacement amongst Syrian refugees in Shatila, Lebanon

Long term displacement and exposure to challenging living conditions can influence family dynamics; gender roles; violence at home and in the community and mental well-being. This qualitative study explores th...

Authors: Hanadi Syam, Emilie Venables, Bernard Sousse, Nathalie Severy, Luz Saavedra and Francois Kazour

Correction to: Informal healthcare provision in Lebanon: an adaptive mechanism among displaced Syrian health professionals in a protracted crisis

The original publication of this article [1] contained an incomplete funding section. The full funding section is listed in this correction article. The missing information is indicated in bold.

Authors: Gladys Honein-AbouHaidar, Aya Noubani, Nour El Arnaout, Sharif Ismail, Hana Nimer, Marilyne Menassa, Adam P. Coutts, Diana Rayes, Lamis Jomaa, Shadi Saleh and Fouad M. Fouad

Documentation of human rights abuses among Rohingya refugees from Myanmar

Decades of persecution culminated in a statewide campaign of organized, systematic, and violent eviction of the Rohingya people by the Myanmar government beginning in August 2017. These attacks included the bu...

Authors: Rohini J. Haar, Karen Wang, Homer Venters, Satu Salonen, Rupa Patel, Tamaryn Nelson, Ranit Mishori and Parveen K. Parmar

Qualitative evidence of crimes against humanity: the August 2017 attacks on the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar

The Rohingya ethnic minority population in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, have experienced some of the most protracted situations of persecution. Government-led clearance operations in August 2017 were one o...

Authors: Nicole Messner, Andrea Woods, Agnes Petty, Parveen K. Parmar, Jennifer Leigh, Ernest Thomas, Douglass Curry, Homer Venters, Andra Gilbert, Tamaryn Nelson and Ed Lester

Informal healthcare provision in Lebanon: an adaptive mechanism among displaced Syrian health professionals in a protracted crisis

Syrian healthcare workers (HCWs) are among those who fled the Syrian conflict only to face further social and economic challenges in host countries. In Lebanon, this population group cannot formally practice, ...

Authors: Gladys Honein-AbouHaidar, Aya Noubani, Nour El Arnaout, Sharif Ismail, Hana Nimer, Marilyne Menassa, Adam P. Coutts, Diana Rayes, Lamis Jomaa, Shadi Saleh and Fouad M. Fouad

Does refugee status matter? Medical needs of newly arrived asylum seekers and resettlement refugees - a retrospective observational study of diagnoses in a primary care setting

Providing adequate healthcare to newly arrived refugees is considered one of the significant challenges for the German healthcare system. These refugees can be classified mainly into two groups: asylum seekers...

Authors: Evelyn Kleinert, Frank Müller, Ghefar Furaijat, Nele Hillermann, Alexandra Jablonka, Christine Happle and Anne Simmenroth

Developing an integrated intervention to address intimate partner violence and psychological distress in Congolese refugee women in Tanzania

Multi-sectoral, integrated interventions have long been recommended for addressing mental health and its social determinants (e.g., gender-based violence) in settings of ongoing adversity. We developed an inte...

Authors: M. Claire Greene, Susan Rees, Samuel Likindikoki, Ann G. Bonz, Amy Joscelyne, Debra Kaysen, Reginald D. V. Nixon, Tasiana Njau, Marian T. A. Tankink, Agnes Tiwari, Peter Ventevogel, Jessie K. K. Mbwambo and Wietse A. Tol

Cardiovascular Disease among Syrian refugees: a descriptive study of patients in two Médecins Sans Frontières clinics in northern Lebanon

Literature on the burden and management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in humanitarian settings is limited. This study aimed to describe patient characteristics and explore both service use ...

Authors: Philippa Boulle, Albane Sibourd-Baudry, Éimhín Ansbro, David Prieto Merino, Nadine Saleh, Rouba Karen Zeidan and Pablo Perel

Maternal and child access to care and intensity of conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory: a pseudo-longitudinal analysis (2000–2014)

In the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), access to maternal and child healthcare (MCH) services are constrained due to the prolonged Israeli military occupation, the Separation Wall, army checkpoints, and ...

Authors: Tiziana Leone, Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Rula Ghandour, Ernestina Coast and Rita Giacaman

Prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence against women in conflict affected northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue as it impacts negatively on health, economic and development outcomes. In conflict affected northern Uganda, IPV prevalence is high and addit...

Authors: Eleanor Black, Heather Worth, Susan Clarke, James Henry Obol, Peter Akera, Agnes Awor, Mike Sevenska Shabiti, Helen Fry and Robyn Richmond

In island containment: a qualitative exploration of social support systems among asylum seekers in a mental health care programme on Lesvos Island, Greece

Social support is a core determinant of health and plays a key role in the healing process of people with mental health problems and those who have been exposed to torture or other traumatic events. At the sam...

Authors: Maria Episkopou, Emilie Venables, Katherine Whitehouse, Christos Eleftherakos, Federica Zamatto, Francisco de Bartolome Gisbert, Nathalie Severy, Declan Barry and Rafael Van den Bergh

High levels of mortality, exposure to violence and psychological distress experienced by the internally displaced population of Ein Issa camp prior to and during their displacement in Northeast Syria, November 2017

War in Syria has lasted for more than eight years, causing population displacement, collapse of medical and public health services, extensive violence and countless deaths. Since November 2016, military operat...

Authors: Larissa Vernier, Vanessa Cramond, Maartje Hoetjes, Annick Lenglet, Thomas Hoare, Rami Malaeb and Antonio Isidro Carrion Martin

An evaluation of a tuberculosis case-finding and treatment program among Syrian refugees—Jordan and Lebanon, 2013–2015

The displacement crisis in Syria poses challenges for tuberculosis (TB) control across the region. Since 2012 in Jordan and 2013 in Lebanon, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported the...

Authors: Andrew T. Boyd, Susan T. Cookson, Ibrahim Almashayek, Hiam Yaacoub, M. Saiful Qayyum and Aleksandar Galev

Assessment of the health needs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Syria’s neighboring countries

Health needs of displaced Syrians in refugee hosting countries have become increasingly complex in light of the protracted Syrian conflict. The primary aim of this study was to identify the primary health need...

Authors: Nour El Arnaout, Spencer Rutherford, Thurayya Zreik, Dana Nabulsi, Nasser Yassin and Shadi Saleh