The mental health of refugees held in refugee camps on the island of Nauru in the Pacific has deteriorated so much that some children are unable to eat, drink or speak.
On Thursday, MSF described the situation of refugees held by Australia on Nauru as "hibernating", explaining that they were being held indefinitely.
"During the time we worked on the island, we saw a sharp deterioration of mental health among our refugee and asylum-seeking patients," WHO Executive Director Paul McFoon said in a press briefing in Sydney.
"There are children among those affected by mental health issues," he said, but he did not say how many children were affected. "Many children live in a state of hibernation, unable to speak, eat or drink," which necessitated suspension of solutions for some of them .
"The number of those who tried to commit suicide or who had an idea of suicide or tried to harm themselves was at least 78," he said.
The islands of Nauru and Manos of the Papua New Guinea State are in the Pacific Ocean where Australia holds hundreds of asylum-seekers who have been arrested while trying to reach them by sea.
It is estimated that the number of refugees detained in Manous is 600, while the number of refugees in Nauru is up to 500.
As a result of this policy, asylum seekers in the United Nations are being severely criticized by the United Nations and by human rights groups.
Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who oversees asylum policy, said Wednesday he wanted to resettle Nauru refugees in Australia, but that would encourage others to make the risky trip.
