Watermelon

Illustration by @bypeoni

I would like to share some important words from Journalist, Ahmed Eldin, “Gaza’s children have been exposed to so much war, oppression and trauma it is hard to describe how pervasive mental stress and trauma is. The constant threat of airstrikes, shelling, and displacement has lasting psychological effects that causes dysfunction on the individual and societal level. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an obscenely common psychological issue among Gaza’s children. Witnessing and experiencing murder, violence and loss perpetually leads to symptoms such as nightmares, anxiety, and hyper-vigilance. With Israel bombing hospitals, murdering paramedics and preventing any food, medicine or good into the strip, Gaza struggles to provide adequate mental health support for its children. The education system in Gaza is often disrupted due to Israel’s siege and relentless attacks. This can lead to a lack of routine and socialization, which are important for children’s mental health and development. Despite the seemingly insurmountable and clearly unjust challenges, many children in Gaza show remarkable resilience. They have developed coping mechanisms to deal with adversity, but the long-term effects of prolonged conflict are undoubtedly still profound. Almost half of Gaza’s population are children.” @ahmedeldin

Done