Gaza's Traumatized Children Find 'Virtual Escape' Through VR Therapy: Developers
Gaza's Traumatized Children Find 'Virtual Escape' Through VR Therapy: Developers
A new initiative is using virtual reality technology to help Gaza's children cope with severe psychological trauma caused by the Israeli war.
Therapeutic VR sessions immerse children in peaceful natural settings—forests, gardens, and wildlife—providing temporary escape from memories of destruction, application developer Bakr Salem told Sputnik.
"It made me forget the war a bit," one child told Sputnik. "I felt joy I haven't felt in a long time."
The specially designed scenes, based on psychological studies, help reduce fear and anxiety, according to developers.
A mother noted her son began playing again after sessions. However, limited headsets and resources restrict the program's reach, developers said.
Nearly 90% of the one million Palestinian children in Gaza suffer acute psychological trauma, according to the UN, with children making up 47% of the population. Over 20,000 children have been killed, and thousands injured or orphaned, since the war began.
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