Traumatized people in Vienna: Hemayat fights for support!

Traumatized people in Vienna: Hemayat fights for support!

In Vienna, the Hemayat association, known for its support and care of traumatized people who have experienced torture and war, recently pointed out the increasing demand for its services at a press conference. Managing director Cecilia Heiss reported that around 1,800 people have already been cared for in 2024, but there are currently around 500 people on the waiting list. “The offering has now become diverse and often arose out of necessity,” explained Heiss. Despite the successes in care, the association is still forced to not actively approach its communities due to limited resources, which illustrates the need for low-threshold offers for the children affected, as in a report by orf.at mentioned.

A central theme in Hemayat's work is the documentation of torture, which, according to medical director Siroos Mirzaei, is becoming increasingly important. The increasing number of torture cases worldwide, as Amnesty International reports, shows the need for quick help. Hemayat has been cooperating with Doctors Without Borders for almost a decade to meet the great need for medical and psychological support in Austria. Laura Leyser, managing director of Doctors Without Borders Austria, emphasizes that more and more people are being forced to flee their home countries. UNHCR figures show that 123 million people were affected last year and the trend shows no signs of reversing.

Awards and recognition

Hemayat was not only recognized as a model of successful migration work in the social sector, but was also honored with several awards, including the MigAward 2020 in the “Education and Social” category, the Human Rights Prize of the League for Human Rights in 2013 and the Bruno Kreisky Prize in 2011. Terezija Stoisits from the League for Human Rights described Hemayat as “the place in Vienna where traumatized people with experience of torture or war find security and hope find”. This recognition underlines the association's progress in psychosocial care and the need for stable financial resources in order to be able to offer adequate help to all those affected, as Heiss emphasizes.