Innovative treatment in Gaza Virtual reality restores peace of mind to war weary children

Dozens of children in the Gaza Strip are experiencing a new therapeutic approach developed by Palestinian specialists and programmers, using locally created virtual reality headsets, in an effort to overcome the psychological trauma of war and fill the significant gap in mental health support services.

The children wander inside a white tent erected in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, their voices filled with wonder as they immerse themselves in virtual worlds far removed from the destruction surrounding them.

One child reaches out into the empty space of the tent as if touching a bird flying before him, while another calls to an imaginary dog ​​approaching him within the virtual environment. Fifteen-year-old Salah Abu Rukab, who sustained a head injury during the war, describes a world “containing only trees, grass, and flowers,” emphasizing that he feels a peace he hasn’t experienced in a long time. Psychological supervisor Abdullah Abu Shamala explains that the technology goes beyond simply escaping reality; it utilizes games and therapeutic programs specifically designed to help children suffering from psychological trauma. He affirms that “the method has proven effective over a full year of working with amputee children, injured children, and others who have suffered severe trauma.”

The sessions are based on programs that consider the children’s physical and psychological needs and work to rebuild positive perceptions of the world around them. Abu Shamala says that integrating the children into this technology has produced “a strong response and very positive results.”

Supervisors reveal that virtual reality therapy shortens the recovery process by about half. Traditional sessions take 10 to 12 sessions, while virtual reality therapy achieves noticeable results in just 5 to 7 sessions. This is especially important at a time when the children of Gaza need every possible means to restore some peace of