 |
Using megaphones from their armored vehicles, Israeli soldiers call insults in Arabic to goad children into throwing stones
|
Teasing Tanks
‘They come with their jeeps and tanks just to tease them,' says Taha Irani, director of the Nur El-Shams refugee camp youth center. On the edge of the city of Tulkarm , the camp is regularly entered by Israeli tanks and soldiers. With high unemployment and few activities provided for young people, hundreds of kids are just hanging around in the streets. Using megaphones from the protection of their armored vehicles, soldiers call insults in Arabic to goad children into throwing stones. Across Palestine , this is often the story behind the news headline of ‘Palestinian youth shot in refugee camp. IDF sources say boy attacked soldiers.'
The Palestinian section of Defense of Children International (DCI-PS) estimates that over 9000 children have been injured, over 1400 children arrested, and over 150 schools shelled or attacked. Schools have closed on a regular basis leaving children with a patchy education and unpredictable daily schedule. In 2002, 850 schools had to close for about 22 days and many more were attacked, temporarily taken over or destroyed. And when the curfew is ‘over', parents are frightened to allow their children to play in the streets because of the potential dangers, leaving children feeling trapped and frustrated. In a time of death and injury, parties and celebrations are muted.
Psychological symptoms observed in Palestinian children are classic of those coping with the effects of military attack on a daily basis. Fear induced by the situation leads to terror of sleeping or staying home alone, fear of the dark and loud noises, crying and screaming. Psychologists and parents report that children's sleeping habits change, bad dreams and nightmares occur. Many children become hyperactive and have excessive energy in the house. Others have become aggressive and destructive. Concentration, comprehension and ability to study have been observed to a greater or lesser degree in many children. Forgetfulness and paranoia can develop. And even when children are free from the curfew, many parents see their children losing interest in friends and playing, as well as showing depressive symptoms. Bedwetting and excessive need for the bathroom are difficult problems parents have to face with their children.
|
| Palestinian children experience violence first-hand on a daily basis |
Rania's father told me that after two Palestinians were killed by Israeli citizens outside their house, his 8 year old daughter started bedwetting and drawing pictures of people with guns. The story is more shocking, when you realize that Rania lives in Nazareth , a Palestinian town inside 1948 Israeli borders, where the Israeli siege only lasted a few days back in October 2000. How much more are the minds of children in the West Bank and Gaza disturbed by years of witnessing violence?
Dr. Bassem Hashem has a clinic in the besieged city of Qalqilya . As the Western most town in the West Bank , Qalqilya is completely surrounded by the latest Israeli security wall. Children of the city are quite literally trapped day and night. Dr. Hashem explained how in addition to the standard medical problems of a growing population with a lack of medical resources, the poor health of the community is magnified by the pressures of the closure. ‘This results in both physical and psychological problems,' said the doctor. He has seen many cases of nervous breakdowns or domestic strife that reflect the psychological problems of his patients. ‘We have many worried parents reporting children bedwetting as a result of their fears of the current situation.' Unfortunately, Qalqilya does not have a pediatrics department. The next closest town with medical facilities would be Nablus , some 35km away with a minimum of 4 checkpoints, not to mention the time and dangers faced in reaching the city.
The Community Lends a Helping Hand
With such a list of ongoing trauma, the need for counseling and psychiatric support for Palestinian children is obvious. Under international law, the occupying authority is responsible for all aspects of civil administration, including medical services. While mental health needs are not prioritized in many countries, the situation in Gaza was worsened by decades of Israeli occupation.
An increasing number of NGOs are trying to address the psychological needs of Palestinian children, but as with physical needs, the demand outweighs resources. DCI-PS has launched a crisis intervention project working to reduce the adverse psycho-social effects of the occupation, a project which is supported amongst others by UNICEF and Save the Children. Since the first Intifada, the Palestine Red Crescent Society has also developed a number of psycho-social units across the West Bank and Gaza.
The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), headed by Dr. Iyad Sarraj, was established during the last Intifada to provide comprehensive community mental health services to the overpopulated Gaza Strip. The organization carries out training, research and international advocacy as well as therapy for individual clients.
|
|
A child’s right to live care-free
|
GCMHP began with a clinic in Gaza City and now has three others across the Strip. D ifferent types of psychotherapy are provided, including play therapy for children, occupational therapy, and family therapy. Particular attention is paid to children as some of the most vulnerable to the emotional pressures of the conflict situation. The organization also works through other health care centers, in order to reduce the stigma attached to ‘seeking a psychiatrist'. GCHMP provides free telephone counselling services for those unable to reach clinics because of closure, and also does not turn away parents who cannot afford to pay even the minimal fees that they charge.
The programme also provides education in mental health and symptoms of trauma for the general community. In conjunction with the Islamic University of Gaza and seven international universities, the first Palestinian Postgraduate Diploma in Community Mental Health is being offered, with the aim of creating a strong future for mental health services in Gaza .
One of the projects of GCHMP's research unit has been to conduct and archive interviews with survivors of the 1948 Nakba. It is a sobering thought to conclude with, to put the current situation in the context of decades of high level of mental stress in the community. The Palestinian political and national identity has been shaped by its history of dispossession and war. Parents anguishing over their children today will remember their own childhood through the occupation of 1967, and grandparents recall the Nakba of 1948. Until there is any kind of hope or stability for the future, the number of Palestinian children suffering from stress related disorders will continue to rise. |
