Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is affecting millions of people both inside and outside of the Middle East, as a result of years of war and this meeting will examine what is being done to combat trauma.

It is not often reported in the British media, that according to the United Nations, over 50,000 residents of Gaza are in urgent need of mental health support as a result of the recent Israeli assualt, whilst Iraq is home to an estimated 5 million traumatized child orphans and around 2.5 million refugee children. Health surveys of children in Iraq have shown that 92 per cent have learning disabilities relating to PTSD.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic events, in particular life-threatening situations.Symptoms include insomnia, recurring nightmares, persistent high anxiety, violent and aggressive outbursts, lack of concentration and depression.

The Iraq Solidarity Campaign UK is leading a campaign where we have teamed up with veterans' charity Combat Stress in Britain, the Iraqi Red Crescent and the Gaza Community Mental Health Hospital in Palestine to mobilise support for the victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Solidarity campaign chairman Hussein al-Alak, who is speaking at this meeting argued recently in the Morning Star, that "while PTSD may be viewed by some as a marginal issue, without a proper understanding and continued support for essential trauma services, PTSD could possibly become a global bushfire with potentially devastating consequences for ourselves and future generations."

Mr Al-Alak, who is also a writer for the Uruknet, Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, the UN Observer and the Palestine Chronicle also pointed out that the wars in Iraq and Palestine had left tens of thousands of service personnel and millions of civilians scarred by the hidden psychological wounds of war.

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: University of Manchester Students Union (Room 1)
Street: Oxford Road, Manchester