{"id":318048,"date":"2026-05-12T15:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=318048"},"modified":"2026-05-13T15:31:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:31:20","slug":"ocha-rising-need-for-psychological-counseling-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/ocha-rising-need-for-psychological-counseling-in-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"OCHA: Rising need for psychological counseling in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

12 May 2026<\/p>\n

OCHA warns that restrictions and coercive practices are deepening humanitarian needs, including for psychosocial services in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/p>\n

Humanitarian partners\u00a0operating\u00a0a toll-free hotline\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a014 per cent increase\u00a0in remote counseling sessions between March and April 2026, reaching\u00a0more than 9,600 sessions\u00a0last month.<\/p>\n

The increase is particularly\u00a0pronounced\u00a0for cases involving\u00a0suicide ideation, which rose by 90 per cent. There\u2019s also a\u00a046 per cent increase\u00a0in counseling related to physical gender-based violence and a\u00a034 per cent increase\u00a0in counseling for anxiety and fear.<\/p>\n

In the Gaza Strip,\u00a0the World Health Organization\u00a0(WHO)\u00a0estimates<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0more than\u00a043,000 people have\u00a0potentially life-changing injuries, including spinal cord injury, major traumatic brain injury, major\u00a0burn\u00a0and limb amputation.<\/p>\n

WHO\u00a0adds that one in five amputees is a child, and that around 53,000 injuries require\u00a0extended\u00a0rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

While the availability of rehabilitation services has improved since September 2025, WHO reports that capacity\u00a0remains\u00a0below pre-October 2023 levels. Currently, no rehabilitation facilities are fully functional, and more than 400 patients\u00a0are on\u00a0waiting lists for specialized inpatient care.<\/p>\n

In the West Bank, OCHA reports that last Friday, bulldozers\u00a0operated\u00a0by Israeli settlers demolished structures belonging to the displaced Palestinian community of Arab al\u00a0Khouli\u00a0in Qalqiliya governorate.<\/p>\n

This community, previously home to more than 20 households, was displaced on 27 February 2026 following recurrent settler attacks.\u00a0This\u00a0is one of 45 Palestinian communities displaced\u00a0in full\u00a0since 2023\u00a0due to recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions.<\/p>\n

To clarify what we said yesterday about the Jordan Valley:\u00a0This year, over\u00a060 per cent of the displacement\u00a0that is\u00a0linked to settler attacks and related access restrictions has occurred in the\u202fJordan Valley\u00a0area.<\/p>\n

OCHA reiterates that Palestinians\u202fin the West Bank\u202fmust be protected, as required by law,\u202fand\u202fperpetrators\u202fof violations\u202fmust be held accountable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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