UNICEF: Children in Beirut Traumatized by the Last Explosions

Beirut, MINA – The United Nations Children’s Welfare Agency (UNICEF) on Friday reported that half of the children in Beirut showed signs of psychological trauma.

UNICEF said that in the devastating explosions at the Port of Beirut, at least three children died, 31 needed medical care and 100,000 had to flee their homes, many of them traumatized, Dailysabah reported on Monday.

Practitioners warned of a mental health emergency, when people began to show signs of trauma from the explosion, including nightmares, flashbacks, crying, anxiety, anger, and fatigue.

Psychologists say the situation could be exacerbated by constant impressions on Lebanon TV and social media showing the explosion, showing multiple casualties.

Trauma can reoccur if children are exposed to news and adult conversations about it, and it is advisable for adults to isolate them from such exposure.

In Lebanon, for the elderly, the explosion sparked memories between the 1975-1990 civil war and the 2006 war with Israel. (T/Hju/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)