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UN PhotoGAZA / CHILDREN MENTAL HEALTH
STORY: GAZA / CHILDREN MENTAL HEALTH
TRT: 06:26
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 05 MAY 2025, GAZA CITY
1. Wide shot, UNRWA’s Al-Rimal School in Gaza City
2. Various shots, the tents of displaced persons in the schoolyard
3. Various shots, “Apex” art exhibition held at Al-Rimal School
4. Various shots, displaced children and their families, along with UNRWA staff, during the opening of the children’s art exhibition at the school
5. Various shots, artworks created by displaced children inside the exhibition
6. Various shots, speeches delivered by children during the exhibition’s opening
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fatima Al-Za’anin, displaced girl from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza:
“I painted all these pieces - I drew the poet Mahmoud Darwish, my mother, my father, my sister, my grandfather, dismembered bodies, and a boy named Mohammed.”
8. Various shots, the paintings created by Fatima Al-Za’anin
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Malak Fayad, displaced girl from Beit Hanoun:
“I had many drawings before the war, but our house was destroyed, and I lost everything. This artwork was originally made before the war but got lost, so I recreated it. It’s about nature and our previous life - the blue sky, the richness of nature, and how life turned into ruin. Even the air is now polluted. In another piece, I express our suffering, a mother’s fear during bombings, and a Palestinian man carrying his cause with him even in displacement.”
10. Various shots, the paintings created by Malak Fayad
11. Various shots, Malak Fayad explaining the concepts behind her artwork to fellow displaced visitors
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Na’emat Haboob, 17-year-old displaced from Jabalia Camp and the sole survivor of her family, standing next to her artwork, including a portrait of her mother who was killed in the war:
“This is my mother. I painted her after being deeply affected by her loss. I’m trying to cope. Please pray for her, and may God give me strength to bear her absence and that of my siblings. I created this drawing with the support of the mental health committee at the Al-Rimal shelter.”
13. Closeup shot, Na’emat Haboob’s painting of her mother, bearing the inscription: “Nothing hurts in your absence, nothing is missing in your absence, except the universe.”
14. Medium shot, Na’emat Haboob crying as she talks about her artwork, especially the one depicting her mother
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Na’emat Haboob:
“I lost my family, and I pray to God for patience. After arriving at the Al-Rimal shelter, the mental health team helped me return to my studies and revive the talent that was buried during the war. I’m very grateful, and I’ll try to become the person my mother dreamed I would be.”
16. Various shots, Malak Abu Ouda, a displaced girl from Beit Hanoun, observing her own and her peers’ artworks displayed in the exhibition
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Malak Abu Ouda:
“Even our most basic rights were taken. It wasn’t just about displacement and destruction - we lost our loved ones. We’re still not okay, but I want to thank the UNRWA mental health team for always trying to uplift and support us.”
18. Various shots, inside the “Apex” exhibition held at Al-Rimal School, which has been converted into a shelter
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) continues to provide mental health and psychosocial support services across the Gaza Strip, as displaced children face dire humanitarian conditions amid ongoing war and insecurity.
In a statement, UNRWA said its teams of mental health professionals, counselors, and field supervisors responded to a total of 2,581 cases between April 21 and 27. These interventions included individual consultations, awareness sessions, and responses to gender-based violence cases at its health centers, medical points, and shelters.
The agency added that it remains the largest provider of emergency education and psychosocial support services in Gaza. It noted that recent displacement orders have made it even more difficult for children to access psychological support and recreational activities - needs that grow increasingly urgent as the conflict persists.
As part of efforts to provide a space for artistic expression and emotional support, UNRWA organized an art exhibition at Al-Rimal School, now a shelter in Gaza City. Displaced children showcased artworks that reflect their experiences during the war.
“I painted all these pieces - I drew the poet Mahmoud Darwish, my mother, my father, my sister, my grandfather, dismembered bodies, and a boy named Mohammed,” said Fatima Al-Za’anin, a displaced girl from Beit Hanoun. She displayed her drawings in front of tents filling the schoolyard.
Malak Fayad used her paintings to depict “nature before the war.” She said, “I had many drawings before the war, but our house was destroyed, and I lost everything. This artwork was originally made before the war but got lost, so I recreated it. It’s about nature and our previous life - the blue sky, the richness of nature, and how life turned into ruin. Even the air is now polluted. In another piece, I express our suffering, a mother’s fear during bombings, and a Palestinian man carrying his cause with him even in displacement.”
Nim’at Haboob, 17, a displaced girl from Jabalia refugee camp and the sole survivor of her family, stood beside a portrait of her mother, killed in the war. The artwork was inscribed with: “Nothing hurts in your absence, nothing is missing in your absence, except the universe.” In tears, she said, “This is my mother. I painted her after being deeply affected by her loss. I’m trying to cope. Please pray for her, and may God give me strength to bear her absence and that of my siblings. I created this drawing with the support of the mental health committee at the Al-Rimal shelter.”
Malak Abu Ouda, another displaced girl from Beit Hanoun, said, “Even our most basic rights were taken. It wasn’t just about displacement and destruction - we lost our loved ones. We’re still not okay, but I want to thank the UNRWA mental health team for always trying to uplift and support us.”
