Children leaving last ISIS areas show signs of severe psychological distress: Save the Children

AMMAN – Thousands of children who have recently moved from ISIS-held areas into displacement camps in northeast Syria show signs of psychological distress, and many will likely need long term mental health and psychosocial support to recover from their experiences, said Save the Children today.

In Al Hol camp, in northeast Syria, where the majority of people recently displaced by the offensive to recapture ISIS-held areas have arrived, Save the Children has set up recreational spaces for children, as well as a centre for unaccompanied children. Across all of these facilities, Save the Children teams report that children are showing signs of psychological distress, including nervousness, withdrawal, aggression, nightmares and bedwetting, especially among children aged 10 to 14 years old. Like in all humanitarian crises, girls and boys in this crisis can experience and express stress in different ways. For example, boys may show evidence of increased risk taking behavior following stress, whereas girls may show a decrease in risk taking behavior.

Both girls and boys who have fled ISIS-held areas are likely to have witnessed acts of brutality and have lived under intense bombardment and deprivation in the last enclave held by the group.

Mai*, 11, lived under ISIS for several years with her family. Currently in a camp in northeastern Syria, she remembers witnessing beheadings and other acts of violence. Her older brother was detained by ISIS four years ago when he was 17. The family has not seen him since.

She recalls life under ISIS:

“They burned our home to the ground to force us out. When ISIS was there, we weren’t allowed to go to school or learn and they raised the price of vegetables, so we were all going hungry. Whenever they saw a woman talking with a man they would stone them, and they would behead prisoners in front of their family. I always tried not to look when there were beheadings, I would hide behind my mum.”

Hassan*, a member of Save the Children’s Child Protection team said:

“Boys we work with show a fear of others and a lack of trust. When we ask them about their life in recent years, they refuse to talk. They remain withdrawn and have a hard time socializing.”

“When night falls, the children express their fears because for them darkness is synonymous with airstrikes and shelling. So they can still not dissociate those memories from the fact that they are in a camp where there is no fighting.”

In order to accelerate their healing, girls and boys who have experienced conflict, violence and traumatizing events need sustained access to gender responsive mental health and psychosocial services in a protective environment. Family unity and education are also vital for the immediate and longer term wellbeing of children.

Bill Chambers, President and CEO of Save the Children in Canada, said:

“Many girls and boys arriving in Al Hol have been displaced multiple times with their families, and dozens have arrived on their own. They have moved from shelter to tent, from town to camp, and their sense of home and belonging has been lost. For months, and sometimes years, they are likely to have missed out on regular schooling, proper nutrition and health services. While we are responding to their different needs as best as we can, much more needs to be done to help these girls and boys recover. That includes appropriate funding and access for case management and protective services, recognizing the different needs of girls and boys resulting from their respective experiences in this crisis.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

–    Save the Children announced last week that more than 2,500 foreign children from more than 30 countries are living in three camps for people displaced in North-East Syria, including 38 who are unaccompanied in three camps Al Hol (more than 40,000 people), Ain Issa (more than 12,000 people) and Roj (more than 1,500 people).

–    Save the Children is working in the three camps to provide much-needed support, including tents, food and non-food items such as heaters and jerrycans, as well as case management and referrals.

–    According to the UN, more than 60 children of Syrian, Iraqi and other nationalities died in January and February 2019 fleeing the ongoing offensive in Hajin and Baghouz or upon arrival at displacement camps.