About impact

In the past ten years, the Netherlands has suffered several major disasters, including the aeroplane crash in the Bijlmermeer (1992), the fireworks explosion in Enschede (2000) and the café fire in Volendam (2001). In the aftermath of the Bijlmer crash, the government and relief workers were confronted with the fact that disasters can have complex effects.
It became clear not only that an effective approach is necessary with regard to the immediate consequences of a disaster, but also that the psychological harm resulting from a disaster demands intensive, long-term attention. Other disasters have likewise shown that coordinated and substantial, long-term psychosocial relief efforts are critical. The Dutch Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sports, Defence and Interior and Kingdom Relations therefore decided to establish a "National Knowledge Centre for Post-Disaster Psychosocial Care ". The Knowledge Centre officially began operating in September 2002 under the name Impact Foundation.