Syrian children are facing ‘catastrophic’ psychological trauma
Children in conflicts, Education in emergencies
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Picture: Save The Children ()
A generation of Syrian children are facing 鶹APPcatastrophic鶹APP psychological damage with one in four inside Syria at risk of developing a mental health disorder from witnessing traumatic events, a global children鶹APPs charity said today.
The psychological needs of children fleeing four-and-a-half years of war remain largely unmet due to lack of funding, spiralling numbers of refugees and over-stretched resources in host countries, said in a report.
鶹APPThe repercussions for the future mental health of an entire generation could be catastrophic,鶹APP Ian Rodgers, country director for Save the Children in Lebanon, said in a statement.
鶹APPIn addition to the obvious psychological damage caused by witnessing traumatic events and extreme violence, there are a myriad of secondary, under-funded and often over-looked, daily causes of psychological and social damage once a displaced child arrives in a new community.鶹APP
Some 10% of children participating in Save the Children programmes in the Iraqi Kurdistan region had lost at least one parent, while in Lebanon a 鶹APPconsiderable portion鶹APP have been out of school for at least three years, the charity said.
鶹APPFor children 鶹APP being out of school for months or years, dealing with the acute tension and anxiety at home, as well as separation from friends and relatives, daily discrimination, child labour, early marriage, and living in insecure, poor parts of cities or towns, has a serious and profound impact on their mental and physical health,鶹APP Rodgers said.
Normal routines, such as being able to go to school and seeing their parents carrying out regular household duties, are crucial for children, Rodgers said.
Among teenagers acute stress is leading to suicidal thoughts and self-harm, with a few suicides documented in some locations, said Save the Children. Other widely reported issues include speech disorders, problems with hearing or vision, and bed wetting.
鶹APPLeaving children untreated has a negative impact later on 鶹APP they can become aggressive, depressed, and acquire phobias,鶹APP Reem Nasri, Save the Children psychologist said.
Syria鶹APPs war, which erupted in 2011, has killed some 250,000 people and created more than four million refugees.
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