IOM has received USD 504,000 from the Norwegian government to
provide critical psychosocial support to internally displaced
persons (IDPs) in Kenya.

Norwegian Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Elisabeth Jacobsen made the
announcement yesterday as she accompanied the Norwegian Minister
for Environment and International Development on a tour of IDP
camps in the North Rift Region.

Since early January, IOM has been working with Kenya's
Department of Mental Health in providing psychosocial support to
the IDPs through one-on-one, family, and group counselling in the
IDP camps of Eldoret Showground, Timbora, and Burnt Forest in the
North Rift Region.

The new funding will allow IOM to assist 50,000 direct
beneficiaries and 170,000 indirect beneficiaries through support
trauma counselling, including specialized child therapy trainings,
and the establishment of counselling and recreation centres in the
camps.

IOM has also provided technical assistance to conduct a rapid
assessment of the psychosocial needs of the IDP population in order
to gauge needs throughout the country, and particularly in the
largest camps located in the Rift Valley Province.  IOM has
also provided capacity building support to Kenya's Department of
Mental Health.

IOM will also build capacity of the local communities by
training community members in counselling and psychosocial support
to provide sustainability to the psychosocial programme. 

For more information, please contact:

Rose Ogola

IOM Nairobi

Tel: +254 20 4444 174/167

E-mail: "mailto:rogola@iom.int">rogola@iom.int