Trapped & Scarred

Report by Save The Children | March 2024

The report "Trapped and Scarred" by Save the Children outlines the severe mental health crisis facing Palestinian children in Gaza, exacerbated by cyclical violence, blockade, and most recently, intense escalations since October 2023. It details the compounding trauma children endure due to displacement, destruction of homes, and witnessing deaths. Symptoms include anxiety, fear, and aggression. The report emphasizes the urgent need for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and mental health support to prevent lasting psychological harm to children, many of whom have lost families and safe spaces.

No child in Gaza has known life outside of
interminable cyclical violence and a life-limiting land,
air and sea blockade imposed by the Government of
Israel. They have repeatedly experienced or
witnessed traumatic events and an evisceration of
their most fundamental human rights. This has taken
a devastating – and compounding – toll on children’s
mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, even
before the latest escalation.

Full report can be found here.