"For many in Gaza, Israel's genocidal war could never really end. Even if the fragile United States-brokered ceasefire were successful in halting deadly attacks on the besieged enclave, which it so far has not, loud booms would still echo in the minds of those Palestinians who survived more than two years of brutal conflict. Fifteen-year-old Abed al-Aziz Abu Hawishal has seen scenes no teenager should ever witness."
"The memories of a massacre he witnessed near his home have left him withdrawn, haunted by thoughts he can't escape. Bodies were flying over our house. I saw a woman without a head, and I even stepped on bodies as I ran, terrified for my life, he said. The psychological trauma triggered a response in his body, causing high blood pressure, chronic diarrhoea, and, most recently, kidney failure."
Children and adolescents in Gaza experience pervasive psychological and physical harm from prolonged conflict and bombardment. Loud explosions and memories of massacres produce persistent fear, withdrawal, panic, and intrusive recollections. Survivors report bodily illnesses linked to trauma and exposure, including high blood pressure, chronic diarrhoea, kidney failure, and vitiligo. Displaced children show premature ageing signs, hair greying, and chronic skin conditions after exposure to smoke and chemicals. Care is often ineffective and access to treatment is limited. Psychologists warn that more than eighty percent of Gaza’s children now exhibit severe trauma symptoms, threatening long-term recovery and wellbeing.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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