2024-02-28 07:29:52
Children’s exposure to experiences of loss and destruction in war has long-term effects on their physical and psychological well-being. With every air strike and missile launch, children’s sense of safety diminishes once more, and survival is just the beginning for them.
Conflict-related traumatic events – loss of family and friends, schools and hospitals being reduced to rubble, deprivation of food, medicine and vital aid, having their lives taken away while fleeing fighting, and the fear of death at any moment – affect the psychological, emotional and mental well-being of children in different ways, and have long-lasting consequences. long term if left untreated.
Gaza is a “cemetery for children”
Perhaps the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip constitutes a vivid example of this. One month following its outbreak on October 7, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “Gaza has become a graveyard for children.”
Today, following more than 4 months, the situation has not changed, but has become worse, as human losses in the Gaza Strip approach 30,000 martyrs and regarding 70,000 wounded, including a large number of children.
Also, 17,000 Palestinian children have lost their families or been separated from them since the beginning of the aggression, while 600,000 children in Rafah suffer from tragic living conditions, and are threatened, along with regarding a million and a half displaced people, by famine and epidemics, not to mention fears of a possible Israeli attack.
In light of these hardships, regarding a million children in the Gaza Strip need psychological and mental health services, following their daily routine has been interrupted, and they have been deprived of educational activities. Most of them receive little, and may not have access to food, drinking water, medicine, health facilities, or clothes for the winter. .
What are the consequences of wars on children’s mental health?
Defines an organizationSave the childhood” (Save the Children) The consequences of wars on children’s mental health are as follows:
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Anxiety, loneliness and insecurity
Many children living in conflict areas lost their homes due to bombing, were displaced from their neighbourhoods, and were forced to leave their friends and families. Such loss and disruption can lead to high rates of depression and anxiety in children affected by war.
The importance of the family, and the care and support it provides to children, means that separation from parents can be one of the most significant ordeals of war, especially for younger children.
Any unfamiliar noise, such as a door closing, can trigger a reaction in children, as a result of their fear of the sounds of planes, missiles, and war.
Anxiety in children is manifested in bed-wetting, difficulty sleeping, nightmares, and strained relationships with loved ones.
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Emotional withdrawal
Children who are exposed to multiple sources of violence may become sensitive and emotionally numb, making them more likely to imitate the aggressive behavior they witness and view this violence as normal.
This, in turn, can affect their ability to build successful relationships with others in the long term.
Emotional withdrawal is represented by isolation and introversion, not interacting with family or society, and not forming friendships.
Children who grow up in the midst of armed conflict may show aggression in their behavior toward peers and family members. They may start fighting with their friends, yelling at them, or bullying other children.
As a result of the absence of any place to play, or even to go out into the street to have fun, children are forced to stay at home, and for this reason children tend to become more aggressive because they do not get the opportunity to release their energy.
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Psychosomatic symptoms
High levels of stress among children in conflict zones manifest themselves in physical symptoms such as head and chest pain, difficulty breathing, and in some cases temporary loss of movement in their limbs.
Many children can have difficulty speaking or begin to stutter, and some may suffer from partial memory loss.
In some cases, children see no other option but to try to escape from what they are experiencing and their surrounding environment by using drugs and alcohol or even self-harm and suicide.
However, social stigma and ingrained attitudes towards mental health remain a major challenge. Drugs, self-harm or suicidal thoughts remain taboo topics in many societies, especially in conflict zones.
As a result, many cases in these communities likely go unreported.
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