Here is the study (pdf).
The Gaza-based Community Training Center for Crisis Management, supported by War Child Alliance, surveyed more than 500 Palestinian children in Gaza last June. The results in brief:
- 96% of children feel death is imminent
- 92% of children are not accepting of reality,
- 87% display severe fear,
- 79% suffer from nightmares,
- 77% of children avoid talking about traumatic events,
- 73% of children exhibit symptoms of aggression,
- 49% of children wish to die because of the war.
There are “many more show signs of withdrawal and severe anxiety, alongside a pervasive sense of hopelessness”, the organization War Child Alliance says.
A seminal 2019 study published in the Lancet indicated that 22% of individuals in a conflict affected population would suffer from a mental disorder*. In comparison, the figures from this needs assessment study indicate that virtually all of the most vulnerable children in Gaza require psychosocial and trauma recovery support.
What’s happening in Gaza right now is a shame and a disgrace of humanity, and will haunt us!
I can’t even imagine a child wishing death upon themselves. Never mind comprehending it or understanding the severity. Those poor kids man. I don’t understand why peace can’t be an option. I just don’t get it.
Once a group has fully dehumanized another, no amount of suffering will ever budge them. If they also make the dehumanized group The Enemy, the suffering becomes a positive thing.
