Mental illness soars in Gaza
Large numbers of Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from psychological problems as a result of the dire economic and security situation, with few resources for treatment.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Abu Ashraf, a 47-year-old Gazan, spends the majority of his time in his small room with no means of entertainment and only leaves to use the restroom. He sits on his bed for long hours, smoking, with no desire to see or talk to anyone.
Al-Monitor went to interview him. His wife tried to convince him to come out of the room and talk, but he refused. “He is more comfortable in his room, let us go to him,” she apologized.
Abu Ashraf, who seemed nervous and unsettled, worked for years as a contractor in a construction company in Israel. After the second intifada, when the Israeli government decided to prevent workers from coming into Israel, he became depressed as he could not find a full-time job in Gaza.
“As you can see, he has been like this for years,” his wife noted. “Even though he tried to find a job in Gaza, since the imposition of the Israeli blockade in 2007, he hasn’t found a stable job because of the decision of the Israeli occupation to prohibit the entry of cement.”
