Feature: War horrors leave silent scars on Gaza children

The mother of Rahaf Habib, a four-year-old girl from Gaza, shed tears of joy when she heard her daughter uttering the word "Mama" for the first time after long time of speech difficulties.

Over the past couple of months, Um Rahaf has been taking her daughter almost every day to "Atfaluna" (our children) Society to treat her speech problems.

Rahaf's parents were so much worried for her because she still could not speak a word when reaching four years old. However, when they took Rahaf for medical checkups, the doctor did not find any physical problem.

It was a psychological, doctors say.

Nahed Yaghi, an expert at Atfaluna, said Rahaf is one of hundreds of cases in Gaza who are still unable to normally communicate.

Funded by the United Nations, Atfaluna Society focuses on treatment of language problems for Gaza children. Most of its programs depend on psychotherapy.

"Most of the kids we are treating have speech problems because of war-related incidents," Yaghi said. "Some of them have totally lost speech during and after the war. Most of those kids were at shelter schools during the war."

She was referring to the large-scale operation the Israeli army waged on Gaza last summer, the third on the enclave since 2008. Around 500 Palestinian children were killed and 3,000 others injured. Thousands of houses and apartments were destroyed or damaged.

Rahaf's condition worsened after an intensive air raid on a building near her home on the fifth day of Israel's 50-day campaign on Gaza, her mother, Um Rahaf, said.

"This makes us more concerned that if the problem remains, she won't be able to join school as a normal child," Um Rahaf said.

An ongoing blockade and bleak living conditions have also added to the heavy psychological stress on Gaza residents.

Rahaf faces an uphill battle in gaining the ability to speak normally.

Yaghi, the Atfaluna expert, said Rahaf's case is very complicated and she hardly responds to treatment.

Right after Rahaf was able to pronounce the words Mama and Papa, an expert tried to teach her to pronounce more difficult Arabic letters.

Wearing a yellow shirt and blue trousers, Rahaf plays at the games room, where music and songs are played to help her differentiate between various letters and to learn how the singers pronounce every word.

Even for children who are fortunate enough to gain full speech ability after treatment, the danger of relapse is always there.

According to experts, some children who have totally recovered would again lose their speech ability when they go through incidents that remind them of war memories.

The situation in Gaza remains tense. Gazans can only hope that their children are no longer exposed to the horrors of war, which leaves so many silent scars. Endit