The nightmares of war haunt the child Mayar

 Yemen's Children Platform - Nora Fahd

"Her face was yellow, her lips were black, and my daughter has never recovered since that day," said Umm Mayar, describing the condition of her 12-year-old daughter when a shell fell near their home in the Al-Lujainat neighborhood in the center of Taiz city in 2019.

The mother of  Mayar told the "Yemen Children's Platform" what happened that day, saying: "Minutes before the shell fell, I was preparing dinner, and Mayar was in the living room watching TV, and suddenly we heard a huge explosion, so much so that some of the windows of the house were broken from the force of the explosion."

She continued, "I still remember Mayar's condition after the shell fell, as she hugged me tightly and her hands were shaking with fear."

The mother said that after this incident, her daughter began to suffer from anxiety and extreme fear of being alone, as well as from recurring nightmares.

Extended Effects

War is considered one of the most severe humanitarian crises that directly and indirectly affect all segments of society, but children are the most affected, as they are the most vulnerable and fragile group, and the least able to cope with the shocks caused by wars.

The effects of wars on children go beyond the physical aspects to include profound psychological and social effects that affect their growth and development, and these effects are divided into short-term and long-term effects.

Gabriel Al-Buraihi, Professor of Child Mental Health at Taiz University, tells the "Yemeni Children's Platform" about the short-term psychological effects, starting with acute shock, which the child who is exposed to is characterized by extreme fear and confusion as a result of sudden events, in addition to feelings of anxiety and tension resulting from increased feelings of fear of the future or recurring situations.

Al-Buraihi adds that some behavioral symptoms may appear in children psychologically affected by war, such as nightmares, sleep disorders, social withdrawal, and involuntary urination, in addition to difficulty concentrating and declining academic performance.

Psychologist Shaima Sultan confirms the academic Gabriel Al-Buraihi's talk, and explains the long-term effects, including children's tendency towards violence or aggressive behavior, and their suffering from trust disorders, explaining that children who have lost their parents may find it difficult to trust others.

She adds that the long-term psychological effects include the child suffering from behavioral and social disorders, such as eating disorders, addiction, and difficulty in building healthy relationships with others.

Shaima indicates at the end of her talk to the "Yemeni Children's Platform" that the impact may extend to future generations, explaining that by saying: "The psychological impact is not limited to the near future for children who have suffered from war trauma, as these children may transfer their painful experiences to their children in the future through upbringing."

To recover

To help these children recover and overcome the trauma of war, Professor of Child Mental Health at Taiz University, Gabriel Al-Buraihi, mentions solutions and treatments, including early psychological intervention by providing psychological support to children immediately after the occurrence of painful traumas to reduce their effects.

Al-Buraihi emphasizes the role of the family and school in the recovery process, by training parents and teachers on how to deal with children affected by war, and using play as a means to treat trauma and improve their ability to adapt.

The head of the Elixir Childhood Platform, Aya Khaled, agrees with this, saying in her interview with the "Yemeni Children Platform" that a psychologically affected child needs a mother and father who are good listeners, adding that the roles of social workers in the school must be activated, and direct psychological support must be provided to the child from a doctor or a specialized specialist to ease the burdens of war on him.

In addition to all the previous solutions and treatments, the psychological specialist, Shaima Sultan, points out the need to rehabilitate these children by providing educational programs to compensate for what they missed, in addition to creating a safe and stable environment for them.

One doctor for half a million!

Despite the passage of 5 years since the incident, the mother of the child Mayar says that its effects on her daughter are still lingering, adding that she has not found a specialized psychologist to treat her daughter, which has made matters worse, according to her.

Mayar's story is one of thousands of stories of Yemeni children who have experienced the horrors of war and witnessed horrific events that left deep psychological scars on their souls.

According to UNICEF, there are more than 11 million Yemeni children in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including thousands who need psychological support services, as a result of the serious effects left by the conflict in Yemen.

For her part, the head of the Elixir Platform for Childhood, Aya Khaled, told the "Yemeni Children's Platform" that according to the platform's statistics for 2022, the number of children in need of psychological support in Yemen reached 60%, adding that especially children who lost a family member in the war.

What exacerbates this problem is the scarcity of psychiatrists in Yemen. According to a report by the World Health Organization, the number of psychiatrists in Yemen reached 58 psychiatrists and 120 psychologists in the country until 2020, which means that there is one psychiatrist for every half a million people.

Why?!

Professor of Child Mental Health at Taiz University, Gabriel Al-Buraihi, attributes the scarcity of psychiatrists in Yemen to several reasons, including the economic deterioration represented by the lack of financial resources to support specialized medical education and training.

Al-Buraihi adds to the "Yemen Children's Platform" that the migration of scientific competencies as a result of the lack of security and stability in the country, and the weakness of the educational and training system such as the lack of universities and centers that provide advanced training programs in mental health are also key factors in the scarcity of these doctors in Yemen.

For her part, psychological specialist, Shaima Sultan, adds another reason, which is social stigma, explaining by saying: "There is a lack of interest from doctors in specializing for fear of not being appreciated and accepted, as a result of the negative societal view of psychotherapy."