INTERVIEW: A milestone for the Australian hotline helping those affected by overseas conflicts

A phone service for refugees in Australia says demand has risen as conflicts have intensified around the world. Jorge Aroche is a clinical psychologist and CEO of a non-profit called STARTTS, which provides culturally relevant mental health support to those who have experienced torture or other traumatic events before arriving in Australia or as past of their refugee journey. The organisation's phone service - the Witness to War Hotline - was launched 18 months ago to provide a confidential outlet for those impacted by conflict. Biwa spoke with Mr Aroche about the demand for the service, with more than 2,000 calls received so far.

Jorge Aroche says it is a challenging time for services supporting refugees, with increased demand as families and communities are impacted by the number of global conflicts. Source: Supplied / STARTTS