Resources and services

Restoring Family Links

In Australia, our Restoring Family Links service is available for people who have lost contact with loved ones in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Call 1800 875 199 9am–5pm (AEDT) or email tracing@redcross.org.au.

If your loved one is an Australian citizen, you can also contact the DFAT Consular Emergency hotline on 1300 555 135 for support and advice.

Emergency relief support

People who have recently arrived in Australia from Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory may be eligible for support including emergency financial assistance payments and casework to meet their basic needs. To be eligible, people must be seeking asylum, hold a temporary visa or have an uncertain visa status.

Looking after yourself and supporting others

In our decades of supporting communities to recover or cope with distress, we are strongly aware of the impact conflicts have on friends, families and communities.

People and especially children can feel more vulnerable, worried or scared as a result of these events. Therefore, we have created a number of resources to help you look after yourself and support others:

Our After a distressing event has happened guide is designed to support people who might be feeling vulnerable, worried or scared as a result of the conflict. It is available in Arabic, Hebrew, English and a range of other languages.

Our Supporting your community guide provides an introduction to psychosocial support and helpful tips on managing sleep, controlled breathing and the impacts of trauma. It is available in Arabic and English and a range of other languages.

Witness to War

Provided by the Forum of Australian Services to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT), Witness to War is a free, confidential, multilingual telephone hotline for people in Australia affected by overseas conflicts. When you call Witness to War, bicultural support workers and mental health practitioners will listen to your concerns, provide information about available support and help you connect with services to assist you and your family. Witness to War staff can talk to you in Arabic, Hebrew, Dari, Ukrainian and English, and in other languages through an interpreter. Free call: 1800 845 198

How do you talk to children about war?

This one-page guide developed by the IFRC Psychosocial Centre can be used by parents and caregivers with children directly affected by conflict and for children who may have friends in conflict settings. It can also be used as a guide to help parents and caregivers support and care for children who may be struggling to find explanations after watching disturbing images on tv or on social media.