Some of the events that children actually see or live in, such as the homes of their neighbors being bombed by bombs or seeing one of their relatives in the streets shouting for help, leave deep negative effects that are difficult to get rid of. All of this is supposed to not happen to children, but it is a lived reality for some of them. You see and live through all these painful events that occurred during the aggression against the residents of the Gaza Strip in 2014, when Nour was eight years old at the time.
It did not happen that Nour had complained about what was going around in her as a result of these events, but it soon became clear that the events of that summer left behind deep wounds in her psyche, Nour began to suffer from frequent nightmares during her sleep and her poor performance in school, at the same time her mother noticed the decrease in the amount of food that she had She began to take it, as Nour was afraid to leave the house, and began to avoid any dialogue or conversation related to the war.
Last summer, Nour joined the summer camp of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), which was supported by the American Zakat Foundation.
Nour mentioned that her presence in that camp gave her the opportunity to meet and interact with many other Palestinian children who had symptoms similar to her.
Meanwhile, and during the children's participation in a series of activities and games, their health condition was assessed by medical professionals, and based on the results of those tests, the PCRF Relief Fund working team recommended further follow-up of Nour's case by transferring it to the Gaza Community Center for Mental Health (GCMHP) She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Nour's treatment included a number of therapeutic sessions, family counseling and some medications, and as Nour's mother mentioned, her health condition has greatly improved and that she is enjoying calmness and no longer has nightmares like the ones she had previously seen.
Nour's mother explained that her daughter loves to come to the Gaza Mental Health Center because this gives her an opportunity to talk to others and play.
The spread of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among Gaza children has reached the point of an epidemic. Therefore, the American Zakat Foundation confirms its commitment to serving and assisting the people of Gaza who are steadfast in the face of aggression, through a number of humanitarian programs that include in particular food, education and health care.
At present, the Zakat Foundation is working on rebuilding and repairing homes in Gaza as part of the "Gaza Rebuilding Campaign".