The Take: Can Gaza’s children survive its ‘colonial trauma’?

Children’s mental wellbeing is being pushed beyond the breaking point as experts warn of huge consequences.

Palestinian children react near the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 24, 2024.
Palestinian children near the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah in the southern <span>Gaza Strip</span> on March 24, 2024 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

For Gaza’s children, there’s no “post” in post-traumatic stress disorder. The trauma is constant and relentless. Many who have survived have lost parents, limbs or both. These kids aren’t playing or going to school. They’re fighting to survive, scavenging for food amid the rubble. So what future does that trauma leave the children of Palestine with?

In this episode: 

  • Dr Samah Jabr (@drsamahjabr), chairwoman of the Mental Health Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili, Sonia Bhagat and Amy Walters with Phillip Lanos, Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, Cole van Miltenburg and our host, Malika Bilal. 

Special thanks to our colleagues at Close Up for their original documentary we featured in this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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Source: Al Jazeera

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