• Children in Gaza face severe mental health risks from exposure to violence and poverty
• Needs of children must be central to the international community’s response
• World Vision’s child-friendly programs created to help 2,200 children in Gaza

JERUSALEM (March 2, 2009) – As donors meet today in Egypt to pledge funds for Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery efforts, World Vision urges the international community to prioritize the immense psychosocial needs of Gaza’s children. Prolonged exposure to violence and poverty has left hundreds of thousands of children in the Gaza Strip facing severe mental health risks and in need of immediate support.

“There is hardly a family in Gaza that has not been confronted with the pain of losing a loved one or close friend,” said Charles Clayton, World Vision National Director for Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza.

“The level of suffering and distress is immense, particularly among children. Immediate efforts by the international community are greatly needed to address this tragedy,” continued Clayton, who witnessed first-hand the level of suffering and destruction when visiting Gaza in early February.

January’s violence in the Strip marked the culmination of pressures following an 18-month blockade of the enclave, fuelling severe levels of psychological distress among Gaza’s residents, particularly its children.

“The level of distress and suffering among Gaza’s children was enormous even before the recent conflict,” said Clayton. “But after more than three weeks of terror and violence, where children had no place of safety, conditions are even worse today.”

Well over half the teachers and counsellors surveyed by World Vision shortly before the recent conflict indicated that children had no hope for the future, and more than half of parents stated that their children suffered from nightmares, bedwetting and other emotional problems when fighting would occur.

These findings mirrored an earlier study completed by World Vision in August 2007, which found that nearly a third of those surveyed reported witnessing the violent death of a friend or relative. More than a quarter of children surveyed were severely or very severely psychologically distressed, and more than two-thirds were mildly or moderately psychologically distressed.

Billions of dollars are estimated to be needed to rebuild Gaza’s crippled infrastructure, following more than three weeks of intense violence that began last December when a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke down. But the needs of children to recover and begin the healing process must also be central to the international community’s response as they meet in Egypt today.

World Vision is supporting psychosocial interventions within Gaza to help children recover from the emotional stresses they faced during the lengthy blockade crippling Gaza’s economy, and the recent conflict which killed more than 1,400 people, a third of whom were children.

The projects will reach some 2,200 young children by providing safe places to play and recover with the help of trained counsellors and educators.

World Vision is also providing emergency relief to those most affected in Gaza and has reached some 78,000 people with food parcels, hygiene kits, and blankets.

World Vision is accepting donations to assist those affected by the Gaza conflict. Those wishing to help can visit WorldVision.ca or call 1-800-268-5528.

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To interview World Vision staff, please contact:

Yoko Kobayashi
905-565-6200 ext. 2151
416-671-0086 (cell)
yoko_kobayashi@worldvision.ca

Alex Sancton
905-565-6200 ext.3949
416-419-1321 (cell)
alex_sancton@worldvision.ca

Notes to Editors:

• World Vision donors support more than 23,000 children in the West Bank and Gaza, including 6,000 children sponsored by Canadians in the West Bank. World Vision began working in Israel and the Palestinian territories in 1975.

• World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.