From trauma to resilience

The Psychosocial Support Program of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (International Federation) emerged in the early 1990s, at a time when an increasing number of National Societies realised that disasters may lead to both physical and mental problems and that the simple provision of shelter, food and medical care in many cases was not sufficient. Hence in 1993 the General Assembly recommended the International Federation to “give high priority to psychological support issues and strongly advocate the implementation of psychological support programs in National Societies” and to “secure adequate material and human resources to implement those programs” (General Assembly, IXth Session, Birmingham, 1993, Decision 26). The same year this recommendation resulted in the establishment of the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychological Support.