Effects of the war in Psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza

Background The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with 1.5 million people concentrated in an area of only 365 Km2. Almost 53% of these people are children below the age of 18 Today’s children were born during the Intifada.

Between October 2000 and December 2008, in the Gaza Strip only, over 3,160 people died in conflict-related incidents were children. (source: DCI) As a result of the Operation Cast Lead (a twenty-three day military offensive launched on 27 December 2008 by the Israeli army which targeted the whole Gaza Strip) up to 90,000 people were estimated to be displaced during the operation, including 50,000 children (source:. Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights ). Almost three hundred children were killed.

More than 6,300 residences were completely destroyed and over 17,000 buildings and housing units were damaged. Numerous mosques, schools, hospitals and universities, security headquarters, ministry buildings and factories, workshops and other commercial establishments were also damaged or destroyed. (Source: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

Public services in Gaza, such as health care, education, water system, electricity and waste disposal are only partially functioning and, prices of food and non food items have risen significantly. As a result, poverty has also risen and dependency on humanitarian aid provided has increased.

Five different levels of basic needs of children for their full physical, cognitive and social development. Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts Self – actualization Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others Esteem Friendship, family, wife/husband Social/Group Belonging Security of the body, of employment, resources, morality, the family, health, property Safety Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, adaptation of the body to the external temperature, excretion Physiological

PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES DURING THE WAR

Fear and difficult living conditions Children feared for the lives of their loved ones such as parents and siblings more than for their own lives. Some children have reported that they also feared, to become disabled and dependent on others in their daily lives. Night time was the worst due to electricity cuts and the intensive military operations.

Feelings of insecurity and inability of parents to protect their children Children, lost all sense of security and protection. No place was safe be it inside or outside the house. Parents felt enable to play the role of care ‐ giver which contributed to the psychological suffering of children. “One woman reported the reversal of roles whereby her 9 ‐ year old son kept reassuring her that everything will be fine when he saw her crying”. ( UNIFEM psychosocial consequences of the war in Gaza)

Nervousness and overreaction Parents became very nervous when dealing with their children and scream at them with or without reason and sometimes use violence. Feelings of anxiety and nervousness were more intensified among parents who had fled their houses and sought shelter at friends' or other families' houses.

Sadness and crying Children were experiencing feelings of extreme sadness due to the scenes of dead bodies which led to domestic conflicts as parents sometimes did not know how to react.

Various Disturbances Children suffered from various symptoms of physical disturbances such as sleeping and eating disorders, as results to attacks, nervousness, and anxiety Children’s appetite increased or drastically decreased during the crisis as a result of the overall stress. Many children in the Jabalia neighborhood that was heavily bombarded reported suffering from speech disorders

Post war widespread distress Ongoing violence leaves children with a constant sense of insecurity and fear. The blockade of Gaza has brought high levels of poverty to the Strip. Gaza’s already crumbling economy has deteriorated. Unemployment in Gaza reached over 45 percent in July 2007 reported the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA), the highest rate in the world at the time. Few prospects exist for children to dream and plan for their future.

SCS intervention in Gaza Strip Save the Children in partnership with UNICEF and other national organizations have established 20 Family Centers all over the Gaza Strip The FC are information points for families and children in their community and, they also provide educational, psychosocial and health services to children and their parents

Children and caregivers accessing the FC during the period Dec/Jan 2010 No.ActivitiesTarget Groups # of Beneficiaries FM 1. Remedial & Recreational ActivitiesChildren (6-12) Remedial & Recreational ActivitiesChildren (13-17) Group Counseling SessionsChildren (6-14) Psychosocial Awareness SessionsCaregivers Individual Counseling SessionsChildren Health Awareness SessionsParents Health Awareness SessionsChildren TOTAL

Thank You