Gaza project by partner GCMHP helped 3,846 kids

In 2025, BC supported a new project for the children of Gaza, run by our partner the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), an award winning grassroots mental health NGO that has delivered help to the Gaza community for more than three decades. GCMHP has helped mitigate the immediate devastating psychological impact of the war on the children of Gaza by implementing targeted recreational activities to support their mental well-being.

During the 2025 project, GCMHP organized 10 recreational play camps for displaced and war-affected children at IDP camps and shelters across Gaza. These activities reached 3,846 children aged 5–16 years, comprising 2,236 girls and 1,610 boys. Out of this total, up to 10 percent of children identified as suffering the most serious cases of trauma were referred for further one-on-one specialist psychological support, carried out by GCMHP staff. This treatment aims to address some of the longer-term issues prevalent in these children, involving in-depth follow up care where needed.

Addressing kids’ suffering serious war trauma

Overall, the camps helped an additional 1,000 more children than originally anticipated, against a backdrop of bombardment, food and medical aid blockades and attacks on frontline workers. Our partner GCMHP has seen three of its hospital facilities bombed and destroyed since this phase of the war began. We pay tribute to our partners GCMHP who not only delivered but increased their impact on the ground,  whilst facing great danger to themselves.

These activities are helping children to cope with the immediate situation. However, trauma is long-term in its impact. Many of these children have lost parents, families and friends as well as homes and normal life. They feel abandoned and lonely with no-one to turn to for comfort, re-assurance and hope. Both GCMPH and Beyond Conflict recognise the need to address the long term scars and we hope to continue working together to respond to the deeper trauma. Unless this is addressed, a whole generation of children will grow up unable to cope with the world around them.

This is why the project identified children with particular and serious trauma related needs to receive specialist care by GCMHP’s team of experts on the ground. GCMHP’s respected Director General, Dr Yasser Abu Jamal, said these recreational play camps provide art, play and music, under the supervision of a team of dedicated mental health professionals. The aim is to deliver vital support through play, helping restore hope to some of the most vulnerable children in the world. Dr Yasser thanked Beyond Conflict for its support and emphasised the urgent need to support this work.

 

A 10-year-old boy who participated in the recreational day at Al Malia Camp- Gaza city, shared his feelings: “I haven’t felt this kind of joy in a long time. I lost my friends during the war, and I hadn’t had anyone to play with for a long time. The games today were so much fun and really exciting. At first, I felt a little shy and hesitant, but once I joined in, I felt safe, comfortable, and truly happy. For the first time in a long while, I could just be a child, play freely, and forget, even if just for a little while, all the fear and worries around me.”

BC Co-Founder and Director, Edna Fernandes, said: “BC is honoured to support the courageous and vital work of GCMHP who continued to deliver for these children throughout the conflict, at great personal risk. We plan to send more funds to this project for 2026 and ask everyone to read this full report HERE.”

Fellow BC trustee Murhaf Assaf, a Syrian war surgeon now working in the UK who worked in hospitals during the bombardment of Aleppo, said this Gaza project evoked memories of his time living through the Syrian war:

“On a personal note, the images reminded me of my own experience during the siege of Aleppo. I remember attending similar recreational activities organised for children. Although these programmes were designed primarily for the children, they also had a profound impact on adults like myself who were living through the conflict. They provided moments of relief and hope, and they made a real difference to our mental health during those very dark times…While the report clearly shows the immediate relief these activities provide, it is also important to recognise that supporting children’s mental health during conflict is an investment in their future and in the long-term recovery of their communities.”

This project was financed by our donor, the London Stock Exchange Group Foundation (LSEG), and a private donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Beyond Conflict thanks our donors for making this work possible.

READ THE REPORT HERE