A Community-Centered Approach to Mental Health in Kassala
In Sudan’s Kassala State, the ongoing effects of conflict have left deep psychological wounds among migrants, displaced families, and host communities. While access to food, shelter, and safety is critical, so too is access to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Recognizing this, partners in Kassala are working to make these services more coordinated, inclusive, and responsive to the real needs of affected people.
Why Mental Health Matters in Humanitarian Settings
Displacement often comes with distress, grief, and prolonged uncertainty. For migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs), these mental health challenges are intensified by instability, limited access to care, and social isolation. Responding effectively requires a community-based and collaborative approach—especially in fragile contexts.
To strengthen this response in Kassala, IOM, through the COMPASS initiative, led the creation of a new coordination platform for mental health actors in the state.
Building a Local Coordination Platform
In 2023, IOM organized a series of consultations with humanitarian partners and government agencies in Kassala. These meetings led to the official launch of a state-level working group dedicated to mental health and psychosocial support. Co-led by IOM and the World Health Organization (WHO), and in close coordination with the State Ministry of Health, the group meets monthly and includes over 15 partners—ranging from local NGOs and women-led organizations to international agencies and private service providers.
This working group plays a central role in planning, information sharing, and improving cooperation across the region. It helps avoid duplication, fills service gaps, and ensures that mental health is recognized as a vital part of the humanitarian response.
Tangible Progress on the Ground
Since its formation, the coordination group has achieved several concrete milestones:
- Development of mental health response plans for both Kassala and newly displaced communities from East Geira.
- Mapping of services and referral pathways to better connect people to care.
- Distribution of essential psychotropic medications, in partnership with WHO and local health authorities.
- Training of 20 medical professionals using WHO’s mhGAP guidelines to boost capacity at the community level.
- Outreach to displaced psychologists and psychiatrists now residing in Kassala to address critical human resource gaps.
- In October 2024, under the leadership of the MHPSS sub-TWG (IOM and WHO), we successfully organized numerous MHPSS community-based initiatives. These efforts, carried out by a coalition of INGOs, NGOs, governmental entities, UN agencies, and private sectors, reached both Kassala city and its remote areas
These efforts are grounded in the belief that migrants and IDPs should not only survive, but recover and thrive. Their inclusion in mental health programming is now a central part of how Kassala responds to the crisis.
What’s Next: Grounding Action in Evidence
A comprehensive needs assessment will soon be conducted across Kassala, fully funded by IOM. It will focus on understanding the mental health needs and experiences of migrants and displaced persons. The findings will guide future programming, identify the most pressing service gaps, and inform the development of a locally driven intervention plan.
Learn More: Resources on MHPSS in Emergencies
For practitioners looking to deepen their understanding and skills in MHPSS, the Migrant Protection Platform offers two key resources:
- 👉 Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies (free e-course): A self-paced training for humanitarian staff working in protection and response.
- 👉 K-Par-Cas 2.0 Toolkit: A practical toolkit developed by IOM to support the integration of mental health into migrant protection efforts, with field-tested tools for service providers.
