In a modest tent at a makeshift refugee camp for displaced people west of the town of Al-Zawaida in Deir al-Balah province in Gaza, children whose lives have been turned upside down by deadly war and widespread destruction meet with speech therapist Amina Al-Dahdouh.
She is there to help them regain their confidence in speaking.
More and more people, especially young children, are finding it difficult to express themselves as the nearly year-long war rages around them.
Amina Al-Dahdouh treats dozens of Palestinian children with speech problems.
“Stuttering is the biggest growing problem,” says Amina Al-Dahdouh.
She estimates that six out of ten children in the camp currently have speech difficulties.
There is a great need for her services at the refugee camp, where family members, some of whom have been displaced multiple times, are taking refuge from attacks by Israeli forces.
Demand increases
“Currently, I am treating more than 50 children with speech problems at this 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 three more days for children from other camps.”
Israel’s bombing of Gaza followed a series of attacks on Israel by Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups on October 7, 2023, in which nearly 1,200 people were massacred.
In the more than 11 months since Hamas’ initial offensive, the Gaza Health Ministry has reported the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, many of them children..
Parents have other concerns
According to Amina Al-Dahdouh, parents are less likely to focus on treating their children’s speech problems as the war continues, as they struggle to make ends meet or access food and water.
While children appear to be the most affected, Ms. Al-Dahdouh said speech problems across the Gaza Strip exist in all age groups and may become more apparent as the conflict ends.
Children fetch 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 couldn’t pronounce letters or speak properly because of the war and the fear,” she said.
“In the early stages of the fight, she stopped talking completely because she was so scared. She became quiet most of the time. As I tried to talk to her more, I noticed that she was not pronouncing letters correctly,” she explained.
She confirmed that her daughter has improved significantly since starting treatment with Ms Al-Dahdouh, adding: “Even the people living in the tents around us have noticed a significant improvement in her speech.”
The United Nations has repeatedly warned about the long-term effects of war on children, including their mental and physical health.
United Nations Children’s Fund, Jonathan Crickx of UNICEF said in February that “before this war, UNICEF considering that more than 500,000 children are currently in need of mental health and psychosocial support in the Gaza Strip.”
Today, it is estimated that more than one million children need that support.
