War And Mental Health After Crisis by Robin Hammond

Photo Credit: Robin Hammond

Robin Hammond has dedicated his career to documenting human rights and development issues around the world through long-term photographic projects.

The winner of two World Press Photo prizes, the RF Kennedy Journalism Award, three Pictures of the Year International Awards, the W.Eugene Smith Award for Humanistic Photography, and the recipient of five Amnesty International awards for Human Rights journalism, Robin Hammond has dedicated his career to documenting human rights and development issues around the world through long term photographic projects.

War and Mental Health After Crisis
Contemporary Issues, second prize stories

October 16, 2012

The Port Harcourt Rehabilitation Facility in the Niger Delta houses over 170 people with mental disabilities who were formerly living on the streets. Originally designed as a home for widows, the building became a psychiatric hospital in 1999, as homeless people were cleared from the streets in a government clean-up in anticipation of the FIFA World Youth Soccer Championships. In areas of crisisin failed states, in refugee camps, in countries where the infrastructure has collapsedthe mentally ill are frequently condemned to neglect or lives of misery. Disregarded in parts of the world by government and the aid community, sometimes far from family support networks, the mentally ill can lead isolated lives, subject to ill treatment.