RAFAH, (PIC)
In an area crowded with tens of thousands of displaced people in the south of the Gaza Strip, a safe space dedicated to psychosocial support for children and women was opened in Mawasi Rafah, in an attempt to alleviate the deep psychological effects left by the ongoing Israeli war and repeated displacement, amid extremely harsh humanitarian and living conditions.
The center was established in an area close to the lines of contact and military operations, and it targets children and women who have experienced the conditions of war and its psychological repercussions, at a time when thousands of families continue their lives inside displacement tents in Mawasi Rafah and Khan Yunis.
Aisha Shaqfa, the coordinator of the Tayf youth initiative, explained that the initiative was launched about two years ago in the city of Rafah in response to the psychological needs of children inside shelter centers, pointing out that its idea was based on providing a space that gives children moments of joy away from the atmosphere of bombing, fear, and the sounds of airplanes.
She added, in a report broadcast by Al Jazeera, that the initiative team continued its activities on a voluntary basis even after the end of the supporting parties’ programs, in response to the desire of the children who kept demanding the continuation of entertainment and psychosocial support activities.
Shaqfa stressed that the choice of Mawasi Rafah came as a result of the clear shortage of services provided to the displaced people in the area, despite the high population density, considering that community initiatives are required to reach marginalized areas that include large numbers of affected people.
Programs for support and recovery
According to Shaqfa, the center will offer various programs including psychosocial support sessions, artistic, theatrical, and singing activities, and educational games, aiming to help children express their feelings, develop their skills, and enhance their self-confidence.
She indicated that the first program extends over three weeks, and includes nine sessions, with the possibility of expanding or extending activities according to the needs of the participants.
She added that the initiative adopts a community-based psychosocial support approach based on inspiring activities from the needs of the population themselves, stressing that the center is open to various segments of society, despite the focus of its current programs on children and women as they are the most affected by the war.
The first day of the center’s opening witnessed wide participation from children who engaged in drawing, singing, and group games.
The child Sewar, one of the participants, said that the place provided children with a space where they feel safe and comfortable, adding that the activities help them overcome part of the effects of the war that deprived them of their normal childhood.
Sewar sent a message to her parents who are in Egypt for medical treatment, saying, “I love you so much Dad and Mom, may Allah reunite me with you soon.” She also wished her father speedy recovery.
Delayed recovery
Despite the importance of the initiative, Shaqfa believes that talking about a full recovery is still premature in light of the continuation of the war and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis, but she stressed the importance of providing safe spaces that contribute to alleviating the accumulated psychological effects on children and women.
She added that the initiative represents a small step on the path to community recovery, noting that her team, which consists of 12 volunteers, constantly receives requests from young men and women who wish to join the humanitarian activities.
The opening of the center comes at a time when hundreds of thousands of displaced people continue to live in camps and adjacent tents in Mawasi Khan Yunis and Rafah, amid a sharp shortage of basic services and deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions, which makes psychosocial support initiatives an urgent necessity for the most vulnerable groups.
With US support, Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, which, according to the latest Palestinian statistics, has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 172,000, most of whom are children and women, in addition to widespread destruction that affected various aspects of life in the Strip.