DeLauro Submits Support for Aid for Mental Health Services in Ukraine
WASHINGTON, DC (December 2, 2015) — Last night, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) placed the following statement in the Congressional Record, offering support for the people of Ukraine and highlighting the need for additional aid to address post-traumatic stress among the most vulnerable populations. The full text of her statement follows:
Mr. Speaker: I rise in support of the people of Ukraine, and to highlight the need for additional aid to address post-traumatic stress among the most vulnerable populations. Today, we mark the 24th anniversary of Ukraine’s referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence. That vote was supported by 92% of Ukraine’s citizens, and was a monumental event that made the Soviet era history. Now, in 2015, Ukraine and its people are under threat, and the U.S. must do more to support the people of Ukraine during this critical time.
In August, I traveled to Kyiv, which is a magnificent city in a beautiful country. Before my visit, I met with some of the leaders of the Ukrainian community in my district to learn what they had been hearing from friends and relatives in Ukraine and what their concerns were. While in Ukraine, I spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. I also met the Secretary of the National Security Defense Council Oleksandr Valentynovych as well as several nongovernment organizations and members of civil society.
Through these discussions, it became clear to me that we must do more to address the trauma and stress that is caused by the ongoing attacks from Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine. This year, through USAID, the United States is providing $71 million in aid for economic recovery, humanitarian coordination and logistics, nutrition, sanitation and water, and shelter. This funding has gone to support emergency needs in Ukraine, especially for the protection of refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict victims. While the United States has been and will continue to be a critical ally to the Ukrainian people, more needs to be done.
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre there are an estimated 1.4 million internally displaced persons, most from Eastern Ukraine, and 12.6 percent are children. The long term effect of the violence in Eastern Ukraine, especially on mental health for displaced children, can be devastating. I am proud to be working with researchers from Yale University in my district, as well as nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Ukraine to find ways to support and expand training for mental health professionals in Ukraine. As one Ukrainian doctor who participated in a Yale training session last year put it: “The effects of this violence, if left untreated, are like landmines that will cause damage in our country for decades to come.”
That is why I am calling upon Congress to support the people of Ukraine, particularly those forced from their communities, with professional mental health training and support services in Ukraine. We must do everything in our power to ensure that the most vulnerable Ukrainians are not forgotten.
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