Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - Doctors and mental health specialists working for international organizations confirmed that a third of the population of the Gaza Strip needs psychological and social support as a result of the deteriorating living and economic conditions and the harsh conditions that families suffer from as a result of the Israeli clampdown on the Strip.

Dr. Akihiro Seita, Director of the Health Department at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said, "One-third of Gaza's population has some psychological problems."

"This is evidenced by the fact that 40% of first-grade students suffer from health and psychological problems," Sita said in an interview with Al-Ghad TV on the sidelines of a conference held yesterday in Gaza.

Sita expressed his concern about the steady increase in the number of cases in need of psychosocial support in Gaza.

He said, "We at UNRWA are very concerned about the steady increase in numbers, not only in the current period, but also in the coming period. Therefore, this is a problem that needs solutions."

He explained that they have two basic plans, first, modernizing the health system so that mental health is integrated into the integrated health system for UNRWA numbers, and second, working with partners to provide more services in terms of psychological support.

"The number is increasing, and we need more support regarding mental health in Gaza," he added.

In turn, Dr. Youssef Shaheen, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Program at UNRWA, said, "The mental health and psychological support program provided by UNRWA is one of the most important programs for following up and treating more than 87,000 cases in the Gaza Strip."

And about the symptoms that appear on the cases, Shaheen explained, they appear on patients with depression and epilepsy, and there are other cases related to chronic diseases and physical diseases that we do not find an explanation for and have a psychological origin.

He added, "We are working with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the governmental and non-governmental sectors in order to enhance the mental health of the residents of the Gaza Strip."

Shaheen stressed that there is difficulty in some patients responding to treatment, but there are positive indications, and we are working with our colleagues with maximum energy to provide services for cases in Gaza.

He said, "There is a great burden on the colleagues, but we work as one team to overcome the difficulties."

For her part, Dr. Ghada Al-Jedba, Head of the UNRWA Health Program, said that people in Gaza live in a state of frustration and psychological deterioration as a result of the deteriorating economic and socio-political conditions.

Al-Jadiyya said in an interview that the psychological situation of the population before the Corona pandemic was deteriorating, and the war came in May 2021 and led to psychological trauma, in addition to the living conditions such as electricity and water cuts, high rates of poverty and unemployment, all factors that led to the deterioration of the health and psychological condition of the residents of Gaza.

Al-Jadabah explained that there are many symptoms and psychological problems that may translate from some patients to physical problems such as persistent headaches, stomach and joint pain, fatigue, anxiety, feeling depressed, lack of sleep, nightmares, inability to dialogue, desire for isolation, and the least that may happen. The person explodes and leads to domestic violence, and it may reach the point of suicidal ideation, which has increased.”

For her part, Michaela Lapisini, Director of the Child Protection Department at UNICEF in Palestine, indicated that the organization provided assistance to more than 42,000 children in the Gaza Strip last year to access mental health services through family centers or partners in Gaza.

Lapisini confirmed that funding is one of the obstacles that we face in reaching a larger number of children, and that is why we work with our main and local partners in Gaza to ensure that we reach the largest number of children within the available capabilities.

For his part, Dr. Sami Oweida of the Gaza Mental Health Program said that the numbers that need psychological and social support may be higher than those mentioned, based on professional impressions and research statistics.

Awaida confirmed the existence of a close relationship between the psychological state in Gaza or psychological disorders and its causes, one of the most important of which is the existence of the Israeli occupation, the blockade and its consequences.

Awaida pointed out that more than 65% of the population of Gaza live below the poverty line, and more than 60% are unemployed, in addition to the existence of tragic cases that cannot work or provide the most basic household needs.

He said: "Suicide is sometimes an inevitable result of difficult situations when the head of the family does not find anything to support his family with, so he will feel frustrated and that he has no value. Therefore, with the development of the bad psychological state and the lack of possible interventions, he believes that death is more comfortable than survival, and this explains the existing cases of suicide." ".

He added: "There is a positive case as long as the occupation remains, there are few job opportunities, and the bad economic situation does not expect the psychological state to improve."

He added, "There is a great need for psychotherapeutic interventions, and the sources in Qalqilya and the staff that work cannot cover all cases."

"He talked about a large prison that houses 2,200,000 people and hundreds of thousands who need psychological support," he said.