“It’s a generational trauma”: MSF warns of psychological collapse in the West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, the escalation of Israeli violence since October 7, 2023 is causing an alarming deterioration in the mental health of Palestinians, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Ubiquitous checkpoints, military incursions, settler violence and house demolitions plunge the population into permanent fear, hindering access to healthcare, education and essential services. “Fear is everywhere and it paralyzes,” says Salma, an MSF psychologist in Hebron, speaking of a population that no longer plans for the future but prepares for loss.

According to MSF, clinics are seeing a marked increase in anxiety, depressive and post-traumatic disorders, among adults and children alike. Many live with the vague anxiety that what is happening in Gaza will eventually affect them. Children, who are particularly exposed, express their distress through sleep problems, panic attacks or withdrawal, while parents struggle to reassure them in a context of permanent insecurity.

This psychological suffering is aggravated by the difficulty, or even the impossibility, of accessing care. MSF emphasizes that the fear of crossing checkpoints deters many Palestinians from going to clinics, including when mobile teams are deployed. “This is not a temporary crisis, but a long and painful generational trauma that Palestinians in the West Bank are forced to live through day after day,” concludes the psychologist.