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 with torture and war experiences, recently pointed out the increasing demand for its services at a press conference. Managing Director Cecilia Heiss reported that around 1,800 people were already looked after in 2024, but there are still around 500 people on the waiting list. "The offer has now become diverse and often also emerged from necessity," said Heiss. Despite the success in the care, the association is forced to actively approach its communities due to limited resources, which illustrates the need for low -threshold offers for the affected children, as mentioned in a report by

A central topic in Hemayat's work is the documentation of torture, which according to the medical director Siroos Mirzaei is becoming increasingly important. The increasing number of torture worldwide, as Amnesty International reports, shows the urge for quick help. Hemayat has been cooperating with doctors without limits for almost a decade to meet the great need for medical and psychological support in Austria. Laura Lyser, managing director of doctors without borders Austria, emphasizes that more and more people are forced to flee from their home countries. The UNHCR figures show that 123 million people were affected last year, and the tendency shows no signs of repentance.