Latest news with #The National
The National
4 days ago
- Health
- The National
Aggression, anxiety and bedwetting: Gaza's children bear the psychological cost of war
Umm Faraj Abu Zubeida, a Gazan mother of four, says her seven-year-old son wakes up screaming at night, terrified that Israeli war planes will drop bombs on their home. The family were displaced when an air strike destroyed their house in Rafah. They survived because they left minutes before the bombing. 'He tells me I'm going to die,' the mother told The National. She said the boy's 14-year-old brother has also 'lost hope in everything'. 'He was an excellent student, now he says nothing matters,' she said of the elder child. The boys' behavioural problems are not isolated cases in Gaza. Inside makeshift shelters perched amid the rubble of destroyed homes and schools, children are struggling to grow into young adults while bearing the psychological scars of war. For many children, bread is prized so highly that it is hidden under mattresses, water is chased like a treasure, and the nights are punctuated by screams from the bereaved and wounded. More than 21 months of horrific violence have fractured families and left deep emotional wounds on the war's youngest victims, parents and psychologists told The National. Gaza mother desperate to send surviving son abroad for treatment after losing two children The conflict has given rise to an array of negative behaviours, including 'aggression, anxiety, and a complete loss of interest in education', said Dr Hamoda AbedAl'al, a psychologist working with displaced Palestinians. 'These young lives are not being lived – they're being endured,' he said, lamenting the collapse of Gaza 's education and social systems. The most common behavioural concerns include patterns of defiance and rebellion, hoarding food, bedwetting, aggression towards siblings and peers, withdrawal from learning, severe anxiety and disrupted sleep, Dr AbedAl'al said. 'We're seeing behavioural disorders that stem from the destruction of psychological and nutritional security. These children had schools, clubs and daily routines. Education is not just academic, it shapes values and behaviour. Without it, and without basic stability, we see a surge in negative behaviours.' Dr AbedAl'al shared the story of a seven-year-old girl who lost her father in 2019 and has been displaced from her home by the fighting. 'She was consumed by sadness. She didn't talk, didn't smile, didn't trust anyone,' he said. Through psychological support and inclusion at a learning centre, the youngster began to open up. But while professional care can reduce the weight of the conflict, the pain may never fully leave, Dr AbedAl'al told The National. Father of three Ali Al Attla, displaced from Rafah and living in Al Mawasi near Khan Younis, said he had watched his children slip away from the life they once knew. 'Before the war, my children went to school, studied and played freely. Today, my daughter hides bread because she fears not eating later. My son no longer opens his school books. He was so diligent, but how can a child focus on school when survival is all that matters?' Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, along with damage to essential water, sanitation and health systems have fuelled the territory's hunger and health crisis. Last month the UN's children agency said the number of malnourished children was rising at an 'alarming rate'. The daily burden of securing food and water has turned many children into caretakers and providers. 'They no longer ask for toys or outings. Their only wish is to eat, and to eat enough,' Mr Al Attla said. 'My children used to wake up with joy. Now, they wake up wondering if there's anything to eat. Their voices are always raised, as they want their screams to be louder than their hunger, louder than their fear.' Iman Helmy, a 28-year-old mother of three, said she could see the change in her children in their eyes. 'My son used to be gentle. Now, I get complaints every day that he hits other children. He fights constantly. My daughter, just seven, now spends her day waiting to fill water containers. What kind of childhood is this?' Ms Helmy's son, like many children in Gaza, is showing signs of extreme psychological stress: bedwetting, lying to obtain more food and compulsively counting from one to 10. 'They've become very defiant. They always refuse to do what I ask. There's constant rebellion; they won't listen to me,' she said. 'My son hides food and says he never got any. He's not lying to be dishonest, he's lying because he's still hungry. He wakes up in fear at night. How do I comfort him when I can't even provide a secure place to sleep?'
The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
French ambassador to UAE says military escalation in region 'a loss for everybody'
Everyone loses if there is any further military escalation in the Middle East, France's ambassador to the UAE has said. Nicolas Niemtchinow said from the recent Israel-Iran war to Gaza, France was calling for peaceful solutions. And his country was working with the UAE to do everything it could diplomatically to avoid any escalation of tensions in what was an increasingly 'unpredictable' world. 'We want to promote a peaceful solution through negotiations,' he said, referring to the Israel-Iran war. We don't want more military escalation in this region because … that's a loss for everybody,' Mr Niemtchinow told The National. In a wide-ranging interview to mark France's national day that falls on July 14, Mr Niemtchinow reflected on the regional tensions of the past few months, how France worked for peace and how the UAE and his country had been co-operating in a major way on artificial intelligence. On the Iranian-Israel conflict, the envoy said while Iran was not an 'easy partner' but we are committing our 'best efforts to preserve this ceasefire', which is important because the 'solution should be political'. Mr Niemtchinow said events in the region and world this year were 'very dangerous, very unpredictable'. 'But what I can tell you as the French ambassador here is that our bilateral co-operation was always extremely active, always extremely creative.' Addressing conflicts On Gaza, the envoy reiterated calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and 'immediate and complete access for humanitarian aid … to alleviate the sufferings of the population'. French president Emmanuel Macron has been vocal about the Palestinian cause and pushing for a two-state solution soon. France and Saudi Arabia are also co-chairing a conference expected later this month to discuss Palestinian statehood. It had been delayed because of the Israel-Iran conflict. 'Gaza is poisoning the political climate in this region,' said Mr Niemtchinow. 'We all lose when we have an open conflict and escalation. This is not good for the economy, for trade, for prosperity or for the people.' Turning to the situation in Ukraine, Mr Niemtchinow said there was still a war going on in Europe. He called for a ceasefire, peace and a political situation 'but not at any price'. 'The European position is so firm because what is at stake is our security,' he said. 'We should not forget that war is going on in Europe,' he said. 'Security of Ukraine is the security of Europe.' Despite the turmoil of the past few months, the envoy said it was not stressful and he and his team at the embassy were 'mobilised for the challenges'. Building ties It has been a busy year for French-UAE relations. Ties between the two are warm and historic stretching back decades encompassing everything from culture to space to defence. About 33,000 French call the UAE home but the true figure is far higher as not everyone registers with the embassy. About 80 per cent of this figure resident in Dubai. Bilateral trade is about €8.5 billion ($9.9 billion) a year and growing by 15 per cent annually, the embassy said. Louvre Abu Dhabi on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi on Reem Island are among the most visible expressions of this relationship but this year has also seen a major partnership in artificial intelligence with both sides in February signing a deal aiming to create a one gigawatt data centre dedicated to AI in France. Mr Niemtchinow said it was far more than a data centre, as the initiative is dedicated to innovation, education and scaling up the use of artificial intelligence with investments in the tens of millions of dollars. 'Artificial intelligence is something very important,' he said. 'And not just because it's fashionable,' he said. 'Artificial intelligence is power … It will change our life. But we should monitor the way we develop artificial intelligence to preserve our life and to preserve human intelligence.' Mr Niemtchinow said many potential uses from space to tackling climate change. France, too has been at the forefront of climate issues and the UN's oceans conference in Nice this year sought to protect the world's seas. He said it was crucial that global warming and biodiversity loss were not forgotten despite a year of global uncertainty. 'We are at this kind of crossroads now between all those challenges.' Escaping politics of the past The envoy also said the 'politics of the past' − violence and war − was making a comeback in some areas. And this was something that needed to be tackled. 'Do you think that attacking Ukraine three and a half years ago and killing young people – that is something positive for our world? That's … the policy of the past,' he said. 'We should fight against that.' He urged global co-operation on peace and stability, AI, trade, and climate change. 'This is what we have to do for the next generation,' he said. The French community will gather for a special function in the capital on Monday to mark its national day and Mr Niemtchinow said it was a moment to pay tribute to that 'unique partnership' it has built with the UAE that was crucial in an 'unpredictable world'. 'Every day we have a new strategic surprise so the trust and the confidence of this bilateral relationship is something very important for both countries,' he said. 'Because we need that kind of stability and that kind of partnership aimed at preparing a future of peace.'
