Published : 11-10-2024
London – Working Group
In light of the escalating war in Lebanon and its catastrophic effects on civilians in Lebanon, including Syrian Palestinians, and coinciding with World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10th each year, a field report conducted by the Working Group for Palestinians of Syria revealed a worsening of psychological crises, especially depression, among Syrian Palestinian families, particularly those who have been displaced from their homes in the city of Tyre and the Palestinian camps that are within the range of Israeli airstrikes.
The working group pointed out that Palestinian refugees of all backgrounds have been subjected to significant violations and hardships during the years of the Syrian war, noting that the Palestinians of Syria who sought refuge in Lebanon today face a double tragedy: the tragedy of displacement and the tragedy of being uprooted again, in addition to the loss of property and social ties, and the feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness.
Meanwhile, the field study revealed that about 50% of the displaced Palestinian-Syrian families feel frustrated and lost, with an uncertain and unknown fate, and a lack of security and safety.
The working group indicates that alongside the youth segment—both male and female—who have been subjected to severe human rights violations, the elderly segment of Palestinian society has also suffered its share of calamities and tribulations. The displacement from their camps and areas of gathering have left profound psychological scars, leading many of them to die of grief and despair over their dire situations.
The field study indicated that the outbreak of war in Lebanon, the fragility of legal conditions, the marginalization of Palestinian entities, the deterioration of economic conditions, the rise in unemployment rates, the lack of a stable income, and the difficulty in securing basic life necessities are among the most prominent factors that have exacerbated psychological crises among Palestinian-Syrian families in Lebanon, where they now feel as if they are in the eye of a storm that will cast them into the abyss of an unknown fate.
In turn, the working group demanded that official authorities, Palestinian factions, and UNRWA in Lebanon to protect Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, provide them with all material, relief, health, and psychological services, and work on this vulnerable group by ensuring psychological support services in the camps, awareness programs on mental health, and training specialized personnel in psychological support.
Amid the ongoing multiple crises, depression and other psychological issues remain a daily challenge for Palestinian Syrians in Lebanon. On World Mental Health Day, the working group emphasizes that for those who have experienced violence or natural disasters, survival is more than just the restoration of physical health. Even after treating their physical injuries, psychological wounds can remain hidden from view.
London – Working Group
In light of the escalating war in Lebanon and its catastrophic effects on civilians in Lebanon, including Syrian Palestinians, and coinciding with World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10th each year, a field report conducted by the Working Group for Palestinians of Syria revealed a worsening of psychological crises, especially depression, among Syrian Palestinian families, particularly those who have been displaced from their homes in the city of Tyre and the Palestinian camps that are within the range of Israeli airstrikes.
The working group pointed out that Palestinian refugees of all backgrounds have been subjected to significant violations and hardships during the years of the Syrian war, noting that the Palestinians of Syria who sought refuge in Lebanon today face a double tragedy: the tragedy of displacement and the tragedy of being uprooted again, in addition to the loss of property and social ties, and the feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness.
Meanwhile, the field study revealed that about 50% of the displaced Palestinian-Syrian families feel frustrated and lost, with an uncertain and unknown fate, and a lack of security and safety.
The working group indicates that alongside the youth segment—both male and female—who have been subjected to severe human rights violations, the elderly segment of Palestinian society has also suffered its share of calamities and tribulations. The displacement from their camps and areas of gathering have left profound psychological scars, leading many of them to die of grief and despair over their dire situations.
The field study indicated that the outbreak of war in Lebanon, the fragility of legal conditions, the marginalization of Palestinian entities, the deterioration of economic conditions, the rise in unemployment rates, the lack of a stable income, and the difficulty in securing basic life necessities are among the most prominent factors that have exacerbated psychological crises among Palestinian-Syrian families in Lebanon, where they now feel as if they are in the eye of a storm that will cast them into the abyss of an unknown fate.
In turn, the working group demanded that official authorities, Palestinian factions, and UNRWA in Lebanon to protect Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, provide them with all material, relief, health, and psychological services, and work on this vulnerable group by ensuring psychological support services in the camps, awareness programs on mental health, and training specialized personnel in psychological support.
Amid the ongoing multiple crises, depression and other psychological issues remain a daily challenge for Palestinian Syrians in Lebanon. On World Mental Health Day, the working group emphasizes that for those who have experienced violence or natural disasters, survival is more than just the restoration of physical health. Even after treating their physical injuries, psychological wounds can remain hidden from view.
