ethicAl
“houses lost In the rubble to war can be re-buIlt, but you can
lose an entIre generatIon to trauma.”
children at times of risk and support them psychologi- them in order to carry out a comprehensive course of
cally and socially. counselling against a bleak background. “Eighty per-
Mahmoud al-Habbash is the supervisor of the cent of children in Gaza are traumatised. They have
psychological and social support programmes nightmares, violent flashbacks, and are wetting beds.
at the Palestine Centre of Supporting Victims of Teenagers’ studies have derailed. The one thing about
Psychological Shocks. “Children were exposed to psy- trauma is its destructibility. There is a poverty of con-
chological shocks that have been affecting all aspects centration, panic attacks and sudden outbursts of
of their lives,” he says. “The remedial unit in the centre crying. When houses and buildings are lost in the rub-
has six specialised psychologists and a consultant who ble to war, you can re-build as many buildings as you
all follow up the cases we have on a daily or a weekly like, but you can lose an entire generation to trauma.”
basis. So they provide psychological advice and cura- Dr Qureshi emphasises the need for a comprehen-
tive services in general. These specialists fulfil their sive rehabilitation process, and how each case is taken
duties towards those children and make regular vis- independently taking into consideration family life,
its to their homes or the distressed areas. First they deaths faced in the family and so on. What struck
find these cases, and then they listen to them and help Dr Qureshi was the sheer resilience of the people
them overcome their anxiety. After that they move to he encountered, and though there was a long way to
individual sessions and family and individual guid- go, they rose to this mammoth challenge. “The peo-
ance. As a result, they make systematic and scientific ple of Gaza are courageous beyond belief. They have
studies of these cases and pass them to the psychologi- immense resolve. They have been battered and bashed,
cal consultant to complete the therapy.” but they are not broken.” With such strong charac-
Dr Qureshi, a trustee of Muslim Aid and a psy- ter, the people of Gaza can now hope their children
chologist was eventually granted access to Gaza in will claim the same resolve. A smile must, and will,
order to train local psychologists, psychiatrists, teach- brighten the face of a child again.
l
ers and nurses. He says that he wishes to “empower”
www.muslimaid.org
ETHICAl NOTES
South Africa to conquer hiV
All South African babies under the
age of one will be treated if they
Sea levels set to rise test positive for HIV, it has been
Melting ice from Antarctica could announced. In his speech to mark
result in a global sea-level increase World Aids Day, President Jacob Zuma
of up to 1.4 metres. Scientists have said he hoped anti-retroviral drugs
warned that as the ozone hole would save millions of lives. It is esti-
attempts to repair itself, tempera- mated that 59,000 babies are born
tures will rise, affecting sea levels. infected with the disease every year.
80 emel magazine |
www.emel.com
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