This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
As a result of the siege and conflict, a plague of psychological trauma afflicts Gazans, especially children, 73% of whom suffer emotional and behavioral disorders according to post-war studies. Most common are nightmares, involuntary urination, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, aggression and bed-wetting.
Save the Children's Osama Damo called Gaza "a traumatized nation." Out of fear, children can't sleep. "Others cry at the sound of loud noises, mistaking them for military jets and tanks coming to bomb their homes." The stress level endangers mental health and future for entire the population.
Gaza's Agriculture in Shambles
Pre-siege and conflict, it provided employment for 13% of Gaza's workforce, and it thrived with a capacity to grow around 400,000 tons of produce a year, a third for export.
It supplied much of Gaza's food needs. No longer after tanks and armored vehicles raised around 17% of arable land, including the same percentage of olive, date and other fruit orchards and over 9% of open fields. Greenhouses, livestock and shelters, irrigation channels, wells and pumps were also bombed or bulldozed, and replacement materials and parts are prohibited.
Further, up to one-third of agricultural land lies in so-called "no-go" areas - Israel's imposed "buffer zone," expanded to anywhere from 300 meters to two kilometers into Gaza. As a result, many farmers lost their livelihoods and nearly half of agricultural land can't be used.
According to UK House of Lords member Baroness Jenny Tonge, children lack basic nutrients "to develop properly. The result: anemia, stunted growth, attention deficit disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc."
Employment or Lack of It
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
