The Victims of Torture Fund (VTF) is a program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to assist the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals who suffer from the physical and psychological effects of torture. The fund complements two other special USAID funds, the Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund and the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund.
Since 1997, Amnesty International has documented torture and ill treatment by state agents in more than 150 countries. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 3.6 million people died during the past decade and countless others suffered at the hands of opposition and government-led groups during periods of civil unrest. Torture is the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering on another person, and survivors may suffer the prolonged effects of trauma, which can affect their ability to perform tasks that are important to caring for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Recovery from the effects of torture and political violence requires thoughtful psychological and medical attention. Treatment aims to restore the survivor’s position as a functioning and contributing member of the family and community. Communities, along with family members, often need to be drawn into the recovery process to promote healing. The VTF works through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) overseas that provide direct services to torture-affected survivors, their families, and communities, train individuals to treat and help restore the functioning of those affected by torture, and increase the level of knowledge and understanding about the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation methods.
The VTF administers treatment programs based in 26 countries that span four regions (Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Near East, and Europe and Eurasia). Currently, VTF is supporting treatment programs that attend to the medical, psychological, and social needs of torture survivors and their families. In addition to treatment services, some programs include advocacy, training, technical assistance, and research.
The VTF gives priority to settings where needs far outweigh financial commitments of donors. The fund maintains an open and collaborative spirit in sharing information and experience to better the state of the art of programming in the field in general. The VTF is committed to improving the capacity of its partners to study the impact of their interventions in order to improve the standards of practice. Similarly, the fund encourages collaboration among partners to strengthen networks of practitioners and the quality of service.
The VTF supports programs that affirm the dignity of survivors by restoring their positions as functioning and contributing members of their families and communities. The fund also recognizes that restoring the dignity of those affected by torture involves strategies that help societies understand the consequences of torture. Through awareness raising and other meaningful activities, civil society can play an important role in protecting individuals against future acts of torture.
The VTF works primarily through nongovernmental organizations to provide direct intervention and local capacity building. The fund administers treatment programs that address the medical, psychological, and social needs of torture survivors and their families. In addition to treatment services, some programs include advocacy, training, technical assistance, and research. The VTF gives priority to settings where needs far outweigh financial commitments of donors and maintains an open and collaborative spirit in sharing information and experience to better the state of the art of programming in the field in general.