November 18, 2024 News

It's like I have found a light in the darkness, says Fatima from Gaza after receiving psychosocial support from Caritas

Fatima, a fifty-year-old mother of four, lives in the tragic reality of war-torn Gaza, where daily life means a struggle for survival. For fifteen years, Fatima has been battling the effects of a stroke and severe depression, which have significantly worsened in the past year. "I feel like I have lost my way," she says, referring to the daily struggle with physical exhaustion and stress from the ongoing conflict. Thanks to Caritas, Fatima feels better today.

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Finding strength to continue

The conflict that hit the Gaza Strip in October last year brought devastation and a critical shortage of healthcare. Caritas provides basic medical services and psychological support on the ground to those who need it most. Fatima is among them. At the Caritas clinic in Deir al-Balah, Fatima now receives necessary treatment for diabetes and psychological support to help her face her difficult situation. "It's like I have found a light in the darkness. The sessions with the psychologist bring me peace, I can speak openly and share all the negative thoughts that weigh me down," describes Fatima, for whom each day at the clinic is an opportunity to find strength to continue.

Caritas Czech Republic, in cooperation with partner organisation Caritas Jerusalem, focuses on providing basic health and psychosocial support in Gaza. In a region with more than two million inhabitants, long plagued by blockades and bombardment, access to healthcare services has deteriorated, affecting thousands of families like Fatima's.

Since October 2023, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 43,000 Palestinians, and over 100,000 have been injured. Humanitarian organisations try to provide basic care and support, but people's needs still far exceed available resources. Caritas is dedicated to helping people who suffer from stress, loss of loved ones, and trauma as a result of the war.

Clinic in the midst of chaos

The Caritas clinic in Deir al-Balah, surrounded by camps for internally displaced people, has become a place where people seek basic healthcare and psychological support. A team of doctors and healthcare workers provides examinations and treatment for infectious and chronic diseases, wound care, and distribution of essential medicines. Simultaneously, therapeutic sessions help people better manage psychological stress.

Fatima is one of 350 people receiving help through the recently launched psychosocial support programme at the clinic. The programme is aimed mostly at women and children to help them with reducing stress and creating safe recreational spaces.

The clinic provides therapeutic sessions to the youngest as well. Six-year-old Misk, who lost her entire family in the ongoing conflict and suffered serious injuries herself, found not only medical care but also psychological support at the clinic. Misk, who initially came to the clinic for an intestinal flu, now regularly attends meetings with a psychologist, where she is slowly managing to process her experienced trauma.

The stories of children and youth at the clinic are sad evidence of how deeply the conflict affects the young generation, who face loss and trauma during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

Help for more than 5,000 locals

Caritas has been helping since the beginning of the conflict escalation in the Gaza Strip, despite catastrophic conditions. Caritas Jerusalem, with whom we closely cooperate, provides primary healthcare directly in Gaza. Currently, it has 94 employees in Gaza, mainly doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, who are divided into 12 medical teams. Caritas actively helps civilians also in the West Bank. It provides basic humanitarian and health assistance, including psychosocial support.

Caritas Czech Republic together with Caritas Jerusalem will provide healthcare to more than 5,000 people in the following months. Indirectly, the help will reach up to 28,500 local residents, mainly displaced people. Psychosocial support will be provided to 350 people who are divided into therapeutic groups and attend several regular sessions. These sessions focus on developing skills to manage grief, fear, and coping with the harsh living conditions, thus helping Gaza residents face the impacts of the ongoing conflict.

Fatima continues to visit the clinic regularly today. "Life is tough, but talking to the psychologist brings me relief," she says. Stories like hers are a reminder of the importance of humanitarian aid in areas where war has left millions of people without basic support. For many Gaza residents, the support from the clinic in Deir al-Balah is the only way to receive not only medical care but also psychological support that helps them manage daily challenges.

The provision of medical aid in Gaza has been financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. We can help in Gaza also thanks to donors who contributed to the Caritas for Gaza collection.