Shatila is a refugee camp that runs only 4 kilometers away from downtown Beirut (Lebanon). Originally set-up for Palestinian refugees in 1949, the camp now hosts hosts Syrians, Palestinians and other minorities (Ethiopians, Filipinos, etc.), who live in deplorable conditions.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began working in Shatila in September 2013. To address the needs of its vulnerable population, the organization currently offers free of charge medical services via a primary health care clinic and a women’s health centre.
Among the patients coming to MSF’s facilities in Shatila, a number of Syrian refugees, especially women, are seeking mental health services. Many of them are suffering less from the acute trauma of war than from shifts in family dynamics and relationships caused by their displacement.

Ella Baron, a cartoonist on assignment with the Guardian, met some of these women and collected their testimonies. Supported by MSF's Psychologists, they share pieces of their stories, bearing witness to the psychological and emotional challenges that women in their community face and overcome. The captions of these powerful series of drawings are gathering pieces of testimonies from patients and counsellors, to illustrate the importance of MH sessions for women living in such conditions but also how MSF's Psychologists deal with their mission on a daily basis.