Given the enormous death toll of the ongoing war in Syria, it is easy to overlook—or fail to attribute importance to—the psychological well-being of those who have endured. But the severe trauma faced by so many Syrians has left an entire generation with intangible scars. It is an issue that, somewhat counter-intuitively, Syria’s arch-enemy, Israel, is addressing.
The Galilee Medical Centre in northern Israel has treated more than 2,300 Syrians over the past five years, almost half of whom were women and children; this, as part of the Israeli army’s Operation Good Neighbour, which grants wounded Syrians access to Israeli health facilities. While patients are generally in need of physical care due to injuries sustained in fighting, the centre still places an emphasis on their emotional condition.
The centre offers a range of options, including trauma briefings, group discussions and art therapy. There are three Arabic-speaking social workers who are assigned to the Syrian patients, above and beyond their normal responsibilities.
Another initiative to alleviate the emotional strain of Syrians was devised by the centre in conjunction with the Red Cross. As many of the patients arrive at the hospital unconscious, they experience immediate stress upon waking because they are unaware of the whereabouts and status of their family members. To combat these effects, the center has developed a mechanism to transmit messages and photographs between the patients and their relatives.
