Gazans Mental Health Deteriorating, UN Warns

(MENAFN) United Nations humanitarian officials sounded a stark alarm Tuesday, warning that Israeli restrictions and coercive measures against Gaza's civilian population are dramatically worsening an already dire humanitarian situation — with mental health needs rising at a particularly alarming rate.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that partners operating a toll-free psychological support hotline recorded a 14 percent jump in remote counseling sessions between March and April, surpassing 9,600 sessions in April alone.

The nature of the distress calls painted a deeply troubling picture. "The increase is particularly pronounced for cases involving suicide ideation, which rose by 90 percent," OCHA said. "There's also a 46 percent increase in counseling related to physical gender-based violence and a 34 percent increase in counseling for anxiety and fear."

Physical trauma figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) were equally alarming. The agency estimated that more than 43,000 people are living with potentially life-altering injuries — spanning spinal cord damage, severe traumatic brain injury, major burns, and limb amputations — while around 53,000 additional cases require extended rehabilitation. Strikingly, one in five amputees is a child.

Despite marginal improvements in rehabilitation access since September 2025, the WHO cautioned that service capacity still falls short of pre-October 2023 levels. No rehabilitation facility is currently operating at full functionality, and over 400 patients remain on waiting lists for specialized inpatient care.

The crisis extends beyond Gaza. In the West Bank, OCHA reported that Israeli settler-operated bulldozers razed structures belonging to the displaced Palestinian community of Arab al Khouli in Qalqiliya governorate last Friday — a site that once housed more than 20 families who had already fled following repeated settler attacks on Feb. 27.

"This is one of 45 Palestinian communities displaced in full since 2023 due to recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions," the humanitarian office said.

OCHA further noted that more than 60 percent of displacement incidents this year tied to settler violence and access restrictions have taken place in the Jordan Valley area.

The agency closed with an unambiguous call to action, stressing that Palestinians in the West Bank must be afforded the protections mandated under international law, and that those responsible for violations must face accountability.

MENAFN13052026000045017169ID1111107801