“Mental health is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
As the war continues in Lebanon, Marinour Farah is supporting UN Volunteers and staff through the stress and emotional toll of the crisis. But this is not a crisis she is witnessing from a distance. Lebanon is her home, and the uncertainty and strain affecting those she counsels are unfolding around her too. “I realized that I was still able to make a difference and provide support with the capacities and resources I had,” Marinour recalls. “Sometimes, even in the middle of our own difficulties, we can still make a difference.”
Her experience goes to the heart of an often-overlooked reality in humanitarian response: the people supporting others through crisis are human too. Across the world, UN Volunteers serve communities affected by conflict, displacement and uncertainty. In places including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan and Yemen, many work in environments where human suffering is not something observed from a distance. It can be part of everyday life.
For those who spend their days supporting others, carrying that weight can take a toll. Here is Marinour Farah's story from Jordan.
Who supports those who support others?
Marinour is a Regional Counsellor for the mental health and wellbeing of UNV staff and UN Volunteers in the Arab States, including those serving in some of its most challenging contexts. Based in Amman, she began her UN Volunteer assignment in May 2024, bringing together her passion for mental health and her desire to support people who dedicate themselves to helping others.
“The people providing humanitarian support are also human beings,” says Marinour. “They have their own worries, families, emotions and personal challenges, and their mental health deserves just as much attention as the mental health of the communities they serve.”
Through individual counselling, group support sessions and resilience-building webinars, Marinour helps colleagues recognize and manage stress, while giving them space to speak openly about what they are going through. In an emergency, that support takes on even greater importance. She checks in directly with them and helps them make sense of their reactions to situations far outside the ordinary.
A safe space when things become too much
For one UN Volunteer serving in Yemen*, that moment came when mounting professional and personal pressures began to feel overwhelming. Recognizing the warning signs of burnout, the volunteer reached out for counselling. The conversations helped the volunteer better understand what was happening and identify practical ways of managing stress and preventing further exhaustion. “She asked the right questions, which helped me better understand what was happening and why I was feeling the way I was at that moment,” the volunteer explains. “Just having that safe space to express what I was carrying helped release a lot of the stress I had brought into the session.”
For another UN Volunteer in Egypt*, a period of intense stress had begun affecting both well-being and work. Counselling with Marinour helped the volunteer develop healthier ways of coping and regain focus. “The support I received helped me work through the stress that was affecting my well-being and ultimately my quality of work,” the volunteer says. “The counselling experience made a huge difference as it helped me regain focus, approach my work with a clearer mind and better deal with stressors that come my way.”
Supporting mental health is not only about helping someone once they have reached breaking point. It is also about creating an environment in which seeking support early is normal. “Duty of care is not only about responding when something goes wrong,” Marinour explains. “It is also about prevention, raising awareness, encouraging people to seek support early, and making mental health a topic that we can openly discuss without fear of stigma or judgment.”
Caring for people is part of sustaining service
Supporting the people who serve is important not only for their individual well-being, but also for sustaining their ability to continue contributing in demanding environments.
Louise Chamberlain, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator, shares, "Many UN Volunteers are working and living in communities—sometimes their own—affected by violent conflict, displacement, and uncertainty. Across the UN system, we have a responsibility to support and look after those who serve. Host entities must provide adequate professional support through e.g. counselling; UNV helps make sure all volunteers have access. Investing in mental health and well-being of volunteers strengthens their ability to continue to serve and make a difference."
For UN Volunteers providing mental health support, the experience blurs the conventional line between the person providing support and the person experiencing crisis. It brings home a simple truth: resilience does not mean being untouched by difficult circumstances.
“You don't have to go through everything on your own,” says Marinour. “Especially during times of conflict and crisis, when you are giving so much of yourself to support others, please remember that your own mental health matters just as much. Taking care of yourself is not selfish, and you deserve the same care and support that you provide to others every day.”
For World Mental Health Day in October, this is a reminder of something easily forgotten amidst the urgency of global humanitarian response: those who care for others need care too.
*Names and identifying details of the UN Volunteers who shared their mental health experiences have been withheld to protect their privacy.