In a modest tent in a makeshift camp for displaced people west of the town of Al-Zawaida in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah governorate, children whose lives have been turned upside down by a deadly war and widespread destruction meet speech therapist Amina Al-Dahdouh.
She is there to help them regain confidence in their speaking.
More and more people, especially young children, are finding it difficult to express themselves as a result of the nearly year-long war raging around them.
UN News/Ziad Taleb
Amina Al-Dahdouh treats dozens of Palestinian children who suffer from speech problems.
“Stuttering is the problem that has increased the most,” said Amina Al-Dahdouh.
She estimates that six out of ten children in the camp currently suffer from speech problems.
Her services are in high demand in the camp where family members, some of whom have been displaced several times, are seeking shelter from Israeli military attacks.
Demand is rising
“I am currently treating over 50 children with speech problems here in the camp, and there are other children from other camps who want to come here for treatment,” she said, adding that “I provide services here three days a week, and I will provide services for three more days to children in other camps.”
The bombing of Gaza by Israel followed a series of attacks on Israel coordinated by Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in which nearly 1,200 people were slaughtered.
In the more than 11 months since the first Hamas attack, the Gaza Ministry of Health has reported the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, many of them children..
Parents with other concerns
According to Amina Al-Dahdouh, parents are less inclined to focus on their children’s speech problems as the war continues, as they struggle to earn a living or access food and water.
While children appear to be the most affected, Ms Al-Dahdouh said speech problems are prevalent across the Strip and could become more pronounced once the conflict is over.
© UNRWA
Children collect water in the Gaza Strip.
Silent fear
A mother of a young child, Amal Awad, told UN News that her daughter Fatima began showing signs of speech problems in the early days of the war. “She could no longer pronounce letters or speak properly because of the war and fear,” she said.
“In the early stages of the war, she stopped talking altogether because she was so scared. She became silent most of the time. When I tried to talk to her more, I noticed that she was mispronouncing letters,” she explained.
She confirmed that her daughter has improved significantly since receiving treatment from Ms Al-Dahdouh, adding: “Even the people living in the tents around us have noticed a significant improvement in her speech.”
The United Nations repeatedly warns about the long-term effects of war on children, including their mental and physical health.
The UN Children’s Fund, Jonathan Crickx of UNICEF said in February that “before this war, UNICEF believed that more than 500,000 children in the Gaza Strip were already in need of mental health and psychosocial support.”
It is estimated that more than one million children currently need this support.