Children in Gaza Struggling with Loss of Ability to Speak Normally

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Estimated 1.1 Million Children in Gaza Require Mental Health Support

A growing number of children in Gaza are experiencing speech difficulties due to trauma and injuries from Israeli attacks. According to reports, approximately 1.1 million children in Gaza require mental health and psychosocial support.

Five-year-old Jad Zohud lost his ability to speak after a bombardment near his home. His mother reported that he had no prior speech difficulties, but suddenly woke up unable to form sounds or words. Similar cases have been reported at Hamad Hospital in Gaza City, where doctors are seeing an increase in children with speech loss.

Four-year-old Lucine Tamboura lost her voice after falling from the third floor of her home due to a collapsed staircase caused by an Israeli air strike. Her mother stated that the fall affected her speech and caused partial paralysis in her arm and leg.

Child psychotherapist Katrin Glatz Brubakk has worked in Gaza twice with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and describes this phenomenon as “silent suffering.” She notes that some children experience physical symptoms, such as head injuries or neurological damage, while others exhibit no visible wounds. In these cases, the cause is often psychological trauma.

Brubakk explains that when children are exposed to extreme trauma, they may enter a “freeze response,” where their body shuts down under threat. This can lead to long-term effects on development, particularly when linked to psychological trauma.

The impact of this issue extends beyond speech loss, as prolonged trauma keeps the brain in survival mode, suppressing systems responsible for learning and emotional regulation. Brubakk notes that Gaza is defined by a complete lack of safety, with bombs present everywhere and everyone in danger.

According to Brubakk, she has seen no comparable situation in her 12 years of work, stating that “there is nobody in Gaza now that’s not affected.” The collapse of the social fabric and the constant threat of violence exacerbate this issue.

Source: Al Jazeera