As part of the actions promoted by Italian Development Cooperation to assist Libya, the project to help young people affected by psychological trauma deriving from the recent conflict is particularly important.
6 teams of experts to reach 80,000 Libyans
The project, entrusted to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and worth 1.46 million euros, aims to provide psychological and social support to children, young people and their families through a task force of 6 experts. The goal is to reach about 80,000 Libyans and citizens of other countries currently in Libya.
The task force will operate in three centres set up in promises provided by the Libyan authorities in Benghazi, Tripoli and Misrata. They will provide a wide range of services: information and awareness-building for the communities concerned; group and individual discussions, plus games and arts activities; medical check-ups and psychological help for cases involving sexual and domestic abuse or violence.
“Capacity building”
The initiative envisages capacity-building activities through collaboration with key Italian and international centres. The aim is to ensure that the services are sustainable and efficient and to create a network of professionals in the sector and representatives of the relevant Libyan authorities. Other training initiatives include courses for Health Ministry officials and staff from mental health centres. A post-graduate course at the University of Tripoli is also envisaged, in collaboration with the Ministry for Higher Education, on psycho-social interventions in post-conflict situations.
