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Blast Survivors Two Years Later: A Need For Psychological Support
“I heard my mother shouting Yara, Yara!”
Yara, one of the many children who survived the Beirut blast narrates to Legal Action Lebanon the vivid details of her story.
“My face was injured by the shattered glass that fell on me”, Yara continues. One minute she was at home watching a video, the next she was at the hospital with a bleeding face and her injured father by her side. Today, Yara carries multiple scars reflecting traces of the heinous crime.
Mary, who works as a migrant worker in Beirut, also spoke about the heavy toll the explosion has taken on her and her children. “My eldest son is still affected till now. Whenever he hears a loud noise, he covers his ears,” she explains.
The struggles of migrant workers and their families have been kept in the shadows, despite how badly they have been affected by the worsening situation in Lebanon.
Two years after the massive explosion devastated the lives of thousands and destroyed the Lebanese capital, the psychological needs of children and their families remain critical.
According to a 2020 study by UNICEF, 50 per cent of children harmed by the Beirut blast require psychological support as 1 in 2 children exhibit signs of trauma.
UNICEF Lebanon showcased a set of drawings by children affected by the blast; on their road to recovery, drawing has helped them find solace, express repressed feelings, and cope with the pain of the traumatic memories.
Just like every child witness of the Beirut blast, Yara carries the collective trauma of a whole generation – in a country where justice remains absent.
For psychological support and psychotherapy services for traumatized children and their families, check Elgorithm’s directory of mental health services in Lebanon here.
Yara, one of the many children who survived the Beirut blast narrates to Legal Action Lebanon the vivid details of her story.
“My face was injured by the shattered glass that fell on me”, Yara continues. One minute she was at home watching a video, the next she was at the hospital with a bleeding face and her injured father by her side. Today, Yara carries multiple scars reflecting traces of the heinous crime.
Mary, who works as a migrant worker in Beirut, also spoke about the heavy toll the explosion has taken on her and her children. “My eldest son is still affected till now. Whenever he hears a loud noise, he covers his ears,” she explains.
The struggles of migrant workers and their families have been kept in the shadows, despite how badly they have been affected by the worsening situation in Lebanon.
Two years after the massive explosion devastated the lives of thousands and destroyed the Lebanese capital, the psychological needs of children and their families remain critical.
According to a 2020 study by UNICEF, 50 per cent of children harmed by the Beirut blast require psychological support as 1 in 2 children exhibit signs of trauma.
UNICEF Lebanon showcased a set of drawings by children affected by the blast; on their road to recovery, drawing has helped them find solace, express repressed feelings, and cope with the pain of the traumatic memories.
Just like every child witness of the Beirut blast, Yara carries the collective trauma of a whole generation – in a country where justice remains absent.
For psychological support and psychotherapy services for traumatized children and their families, check Elgorithm’s directory of mental health services in Lebanon here.
