Art offers young Gaza survivors solace and escape from war’s devastation

What the report says

At a beachside cafe in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, a small art space has become a refuge for children and teenagers trying to cope with the emotional toll of the war, according to Al Jazeera. The report focuses on 16-year-old Maryam, whose family home was bombed in January 2024 and who has since been living with her grandmother. She says drawing gives her relief, helps her express feelings she cannot easily put into words, and offers a brief break from the destruction around her.

The space was set up in April by Abdullah al-Ghafri, who says the aim is to give young people a place to release distress and recover some hope at a time when many educational and cultural venues in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. He also says keeping the venue open is difficult because of rent and the search for funding. Al Jazeera says the broader war has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

The article also describes similar efforts through music in Nuseirat and other displacement areas, where the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music continues classes despite damage to its Gaza City site. Coordinator Jabr Thabet says the sessions are meant to give children moments of normality and connection. A psychologist quoted in the report says art and music can help children and adolescents release pressure, feel some control, and communicate trauma in safer ways, though they are not a complete treatment for war-related harm.