Regional Conflicts in MENA Inflict Psychological Scars on Youth, Says Arab News
An in-depth feature from Arab News outlines how protracted conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa are inflicting long-lasting psychological, physical, and societal damage on children and young adults—threatening a generation’s future.
The article underscores that millions of youth across war-torn nations are experiencing trauma from continuous violence, forced displacement, economic hardship, and fractured communities. These conditions, it reports, are disrupting education, undermining mental health, and weakening social cohesion.
International experts emphasize that children exposed to chronic conflict exhibit elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many schools have been destroyed or repurposed as refugee shelters, compelling children into learning interruptions or non-formal, informal education—with lasting consequences for their development and life trajectories.
Regional agencies warn the effects are compounding. Prolonged displacement, food insecurity, and exposure to armed violence are often childhood chronic stressors, potentially altering brain development and increasing risks of long-term behavioral and health issues.
Compounding the crisis, humanitarian access remains restricted in many hot zones, and aid efforts—while ongoing—struggle to meet mounting psychosocial needs. Experts and advocacy groups are urging expanded mental health services, increased support for schooling and safe spaces, and longer-term investments in resilience-building for young populations.
