The mental health of refugees detained by Australia on the Pacific island of Nauru has deteriorated so badly that some children are in a "semi-comatose state", unable to eat, drink or talk, Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Thursday.
Nauru is one of two Pacific nations where Australia detains hundreds of asylum seekers, who were intercepted while trying to reach the country by boat. This policy is widely criticized by the United Nations and rights groups.
MSF, one of the few groups to independently assess refugees at the restricted facilities, provided mental health care to asylum seekers and Nauru residents until the Pacific nation canceled its contract on October 5.
Dr Christine Ruffler, Dr Beth O'Connor and Dr Paul McPhun (from left to right) from Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) address the media in Sydney, Australia, October 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
"During our time on the island, we witnessed a significant deterioration of mental health among our asylum seeker and refugee patients," said Paul McPhun, executive director of the medical aid group.
Children are among those affected by mental health issues, he said, though he did not give a specific number.
"Many children exist in a semi-comatose state, unable to eat, drink and talk," said McPhun, adding that some children required intravenous fluid drips.
Representatives for the government of Nauru and Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, who oversees the policy, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
People hold a candlelight vigil for two refugees, who set themselves on fire on the remote Pacific island of Nauru, in Sydney, May 4, 2016. /VCG Photo
On Wednesday, Dutton said he would like to resettle the Nauru refugees in Australia, but that would encourage other asylum seekers to attempt the dangerous journey by boat.
McPhun said the decline in mental health among refugees on Nauru was "clearly attributable" to their indefinite detention.
"Shockingly, of the refugees we have treated, at least 78 have attempted suicide, had suicidal thoughts and attempted self-harm," he said.