Post Conflict Psychosocial Effects on Children in the Egyeikrom Refugee Camp

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the post-conflict effects on children in the Egyeikrom refugee camp in the Central Region of Ghana. The study employed qualitative approaches in getting the relevant data to satisfy the purpose and objectives of the study. Respondents for the study were selected purposively. In-depth interviews were also conducted to elicit qualitative data. Computer software programme, Nvivo (version 7), was employed in the analysis of data. The study revealed that children in the camp suffered from psychological problems such as hallucination, lack of concentration and sleep disorders. In addition, it was found that children were vulnerable to malnutrition due to low calorie intake resulting from the poor status of their parents and more significantly the withdrawal of food ration to the camp since 2015. With respect to education, language barrier, inadequate number of qualified teachers and the use of the Ghanaian curriculum were identified as challenges affecting the education of the children in the camp. On the social aspect, it was found that the children reported of discrimination and the fear of losing their identity as Ivorians. In addition, it was found that children adopted different coping strategies to survive. Interventions by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners were ineffective in dealing with the children’s problems. The study recommended among other things that a language support system should be set up for children, that the UNHCR should take immediate steps to restore the supply of ration to the children and other vulnerable refugees and lastly a guidance and counselling centre should be established and manned by competent counsellors and professional psychologist to offer counselling and psychotherapeutic services to the children.