Doctors Without Borders calls for specialized care for torture and violence survivors

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is calling for guaranteed comprehensive and specialized care for migrants, refugees, and displaced persons who have survived torture, sexual violence, and kidnapping. The organization highlighted that the effects of extreme violence persist long after the physical attacks cease, impacting mental health, social relationships, and the ability to rebuild lives.

Marking 10 years of operation for its Comprehensive Care Center (CAI) in Mexico City, MSF reported that the facility has assisted 1,205 patients and provided over 23,200 specialized consultations since 2017. Between January and July 2026, the team identified 71 new cases of torture and mistreatment survivors.

To raise awareness, MSF released an animated short film titled ‘Trauma Speaks Through the Body.’ The multimedia initiative aims to visualize how violence leaves marks that go ‘beyond the visible,’ such as insomnia, nightmares, and intrusive memories. The film uses the testimony of a survivor to illustrate how traumatic memories often appear in fragmented, non-chronological pieces.