Letter to the Editor: Psychological toll of war on Syrians must concern us all

Although a political solution must be found to end the fighting in Syria, the importance of addressing psychosocial needs is critical to the survival and wellbeing of those affected by the conflict

Syrian refugees walk through a camp for displaced muddied by recent rains near the village of Kafr Aruq, in Idlib province, Syria. The Syrian conflict, which marks 10 years later this month, has resulted in the largest displacement crisis since the Second World War.Picture: Ghaith Alsayed/AP

By now we are all familiar with the images that regularly appear from Syria. Photographs of buildings destroyed, of people injured, displaced and distressed. Less visible however is the legacy of these traumatic events and what a decade of conflict can do to the mental health of the people who live there, and the people who are forced to leave.

This week marks 10 years since the conflict in Syria began and in that time the Syrian people have been exposed to repeated trauma and stress while also living in a near-permanent state of uncertainty.