Kazakhstan

In 2024, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched a multidisciplinary rehabilitative care project for survivors of violence and ill treatment in Kazakhstan.

The project, set up in the city of Almaty in collaboration with local partners, focuses on mental health services, medical referrals, and health education for vulnerable groups. This includes the Kandastar community, ethnic Kazakhs who have returned to Kazakhstan after years or even generations of living abroad, primarily in countries such as China, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan.

Many Kandastar returnees face challenges integrating into society in Kazakhstan or suffer from mental health issues that developed during their emigrant life. In response, we started to provide them with individual mental health support and psychoeducation sessions to help them cope with stress, trauma, and adjustment difficulties.

Our team is providing psychosocial support and promoting community-based support and mental health awareness among the Kandastar. We aim to alleviate their trauma and ensure they receive the care and support necessary to rebuild their lives.