Transcript
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and the Refugee Council of Australia published the report which highlights harrowing incidents of self harm and suicide attempts among about 110 children still on Nauru. The resource centre's Natasha Blutcher says despair among the children recently surged after a group of Iranians were rejected for US resettlement.
"That was the final hope that was snatched away from them and now they just collapse entirely that's what we are seeing it's like a domino effect. we think its related to that final loss of hope"
In audio published by Buzz Feed, a 16-year-old refugee says she has lost all hope.
"I don't want to have a perfect life but I want to be happy. I just feel so much pain inside me. I'm very sad and mentally broken. I can't do anything I can't see any happiness in my future."
Child psychiatrist Vernon Reynolds worked on Nauru for two years until April and says he saw depressed refugee children withdrawing from friends, family and even food.
"There has certainly been a much higher presentation in recent months of that phenomenon of withdrawal. And no, the services are not set up to manage that at all. Each one of those can progress into a really severe illness that is potentially life threatening."
Psychiatry professor Louise Newman says there has been a disturbing rise in cases of Traumatic Withdrawal Syndrome on Nauru also known as Resignation Syndrome.
"These children can become semi-comatose and really unrousable. So this is a quite a serious medical condition by the time they are in this sort of state. These are children who need to be in hospitals with access to intensive medical treatment. They need to be fed so they might need tubes put in for feeding and fluids."
Other horrors on Nauru were described to Buzz Feed by a 21-year-refugee.
"Many people died by suicide or sickness that was not being cared for. Many kids attempted suicide, many are mentally ill and this all happened because Australian government played with our minds and lives. The only thing that is always in my mind is the five years of my life that the Australian government took from me. Or maybe it's going to be more than that, who knows."
Tired of his requests for medical transfers being ignored in Canberra, Dr Reynolds is now helping lawyers fight the Australian government.
"It's staggering and I really don't know how they justify it five years on. How do they justify continuing to punish and harm these kids and families?"
Natasha Blutcher says 23 sick children have been transferred from Nauru to Australia since December following legal intervention.
"Twenty-three kids that have been removed because they were already critically ill and at risk of death. And as I say another 30 that we are aware of and that says to us that this situation is out of control and that it's not safe for any child to be there any longer."
Having to fight tooth and nail against the Australian government with limited resources, Ms Blutcher says advocates, doctors and lawyers are terrified that a sick refugee child will soon die on Nauru.
