Official Release: English / French / Spanish

Background:
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has published a new set of guidelines to address the mental and psychological needs of survivors as part of the response to conflict or disasters.

ACT International has endorsed the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings as a significant step towards providing better care and support to people affected by conflict and disasters. The guidelines, developed by staff from 27 agencies, recommend that protecting and promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being is the responsibility of all humanitarian agencies and workers.

We are attaching for your review and use in your communications initiatives a press release (in English, French and Spanish) endorsed by amongst others, ACT International, to coincide with the official launch of the guidelines today, September 14, 2007.

The ACT International alliance was represented by the Church of Sweden on the IASC task force established to work on the issue of mental health in humanitarian disasters and emergencies. The guidelines will form part of a set of policies and guidelines already endorsed by ACT International, namely: the World Health Organisation’s policy on Mental Health in Emergencies and the guide on Community-based Psychosocial Services.

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