Mental health specialists in the Gaza Strip say that the residents of the Strip are suffering from a “volcano” of psychological trauma after the devastating Israeli war of annihilation, something that has become clear since the ceasefire agreement that entered into force last month.
Two years of Israeli war of annihilation and repeated military incursions, which local health authorities say have claimed the lives of more than 68,000 people, coupled with waves of displacement and widespread hunger, have affected the entire population of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Jamal, Director of the Psychiatric Hospital in Gaza, said that the crisis is evident in the large numbers who are now seeking treatment at the hospital in Gaza City. The hospital is now operating from a nearby clinic due to damage to its building.
He added, “With the beginning of the truce, it was like a volcano erupting from patients seeking mental health services. Even the stigma that previously existed and the fear of visiting a psychiatrist became non-existent. Everyone began to consider it normal for me to have a psychological problem that had no longer become a concern that would cause embarrassment to the patient or his family.”
Al-Jamal and another colleague are doing their best, but with the hospital suffering significant damage, their resources are limited and they are forced to share a room, depriving their patients of privacy during consultations.
He said about more than 100 patients who visit them there daily, “The services are concentrated in one room… two doctors sit together to see each patient… there is no respect for privacy or dignity of the patient, and there is something really humiliating in the way services are provided, but we try as much as possible to develop alternatives.”
Mental health specialists at the Palestine Red Crescent Society say that there are widespread reports of children suffering from night terrors, nocturnal enuresis, and other symptoms, including an inability to concentrate.
Nevin Abdel Hadi, a specialist from the Red Crescent, said, “Today, the Gazan child suffers from food, drink, shelter, and clothing. Today we are talking about children who have not worn new containers (clothes) for two years.” The Red Crescent Society offers activities for children, including games and stories.