Overcoming trauma in the West Bank

Meet Amal*. She lives with her family in a small village in the West Bank that is surrounded by Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.

Just over two years ago, at the age of 12, Amal was violently attacked by a group of settlers just outside her home. She was immediately rushed to hospital, where she received treatment for a fractured nasal bone and broken jaw.

Although her physical health was taken care of, her mental health suffered – after she came home, she had repeated panic attacks, and lived in constant fear and tension. She stopped socialising with her friends and refused to leave the house, even to go to school.

Our partner, the East Jerusalem YMCA, quickly stepped in to support Amal and her family. The team did individual counselling sessions with Amal and her mother, and group counselling for the rest of her family and other children in the neighbourhood.

The sessions with the children focused on the psychological unloading of trauma, easing the symptoms of fear and anxiety, and providing them with practical skills to protect themselves.

Amal and her family felt much better after the sessions were completed. Amal says: “I learned how to protect myself, I returned back to school and successfully completed the school year … I wish my family and I, and all Palestinian children, to live in peace.”

*Name changed