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'She started to forget, little by little': Virtual reality offers escape to Gaza's children
| United Kingdom | general | ✓ Verified - news.sky.com

'She started to forget, little by little': Virtual reality offers escape to Gaza's children

#Virtual reality therapy #Gaza children #War trauma #TechMed Gaza #Psychological healing #Displacement camps #Medical facilities #Conflict impact

📌 Key Takeaways

  • VR therapy offers psychological escape for Gaza's war-traumatized children
  • Medical facilities in Gaza remain severely damaged after two years of conflict
  • The TechMed Gaza project has helped approximately 180 children with VR therapy
  • Limited resources mean only a few VR headsets are available for treatment
  • A fragile ceasefire continues to see strikes and casualties in the region

📖 Full Retelling

In Gaza City on February 22, 2026, Palestinian children in displacement camps are receiving virtual reality therapy sessions through a project run by TechMed Gaza, offering temporary psychological escape from the ongoing conflict that has severely damaged local medical facilities and left thousands traumatized by two years of war. The therapy involves children wearing VR headsets that transport them to peaceful environments like forests, beaches, and playful settings, providing brief respite from the harsh reality of their surroundings. Seven-year-old Razan, who suffered severe leg injuries from a shell explosion while fetching water for her family, is one of the beneficiaries whose mental health has gradually improved through these sessions, though nightmares still persist. The project began when a severely traumatized child showed positive psychological responses to VR therapy, leading to structured sessions that include breathing exercises, walking exercises, and exposure to natural environments.

🏷️ Themes

Mental health, War trauma, Medical limitations, Technology for healing

📚 Related People & Topics

Virtual reality therapy

Alternative form of exposure therapy

Virtual reality therapy (VRT), also known as virtual reality immersion therapy (VRIT), simulation for therapy (SFT), virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), and computerized CBT (CCBT), is the use of virtual reality technology for psychological or occupational therapy and in affecting virtual rehab...

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Post-traumatic stress disorder

Mental disorder associated with trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, bereavement, traffic collision, or other threats on a person's life or well-bein...

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Original Source
Eyewitness Eyewitness 'She started to forget, little by little': Virtual reality offers escape to Gaza's children In Gaza City, Palestinian children in displacement camps have been given some virtual reality headsets. For a few minutes, they are somewhere else. Then they step back into Gaza as it is. By Adam Parsons, Middle East correspondent, and Celine Alkhaldi, Middle East producer, in Jerusalem Sunday 22 February 2026 04:23, UK 3:49 Share How VR headsets are helping Gaza's children Why you can trust Sky News In a small office space in Gaza City, a child stands still, wearing a virtual reality headset. A therapist asks seven-year-old Razan what she can see. She names objects as they appear in front of her: a train, toys, animals, the sea. The prompts are gentle: reach for the cube, use the hand you can, tell me what you are feeling. It is therapy, but it looks like play. Razan was injured last year when she went outside to get water for her family. A shell landed nearby, the shrapnel careering into her leg. A series of surgeries followed, including one reconstruction attempt that failed. The injury is still impossible to miss - Razan's leg is misshapen where a chunk of her flesh and muscle has gone. Doctors told the family there was little more they could do for her inside Gaza , where medical facilities have been so badly affected by two years of war. Only by leaving the Strip and seeking treatment abroad was there hope of a proper recovery, they said. For a young child, the news felt like a second attack. More on Gaza Epstein files see to arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Donald Trump's Board of Peace pledges billions of dollars to rebuild Gaza Donald Trump makes misleading peace claims as he addressed first Board of Peace meeting Related Topics: Gaza Israel Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free Her mother, Rana Abu Harbid, says the trauma was so severe that Razan stopped eating for days, surviving only on water before collapsin...
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