02 September 2026
A steady sound of voices fills UNRWA’s
Asmaa shelter-turned-exhibition space in Beach Camp in Gaza City. As
people move through the crowded room, they pause to smile, point, and
take photos of the colourful artwork that brightens the once-white
walls. Standing among them are 11-year-old friends Lareen and Layan. The
young students-turned-artists proudly show off their posters and
upcycled cardboard figures.
"I love drawing flowers," says Layan. "One day, I want to become an architect."
Alongside 1,000 other children living
in UNRWA shelters across the Gaza Strip, the young friends have
participated in art activities organised by the Agency. Under the
supervision and guidance of UNRWA psychosocial counsellors, the students
have learned how to express their thoughts, aspirations, and emotions
through art, creating posters, drawings, artistic models, and
sculptures.
"We were so happy to participate. We
collected things from around us and learned how to turn them into
something beautiful. We made new friends and spent time together in a
healthy environment, away from the destruction around us," says Lareen,
who is among the 250 children selected to exhibit their art in one of
the five temporary exhibition spaces across the Gaza Strip.
The art activities and exhibitions were
made possible through funding from European Union Humanitarian Aid,
which provided the paint, paper, and other materials needed for drawing,
colouring, and crafting, as well as the psychosocial support that
helped create a safe and encouraging environment for the participants.
Art can play an important role in
supporting children’s healthy development during conflicts and
emergencies. Through art, they learn how to express complex emotions
they might otherwise find difficult to articulate, while strengthening
their confidence and fostering a sense of normalcy. For children in the
Gaza Strip, opportunities to learn, play, and express themselves have
been disrupted by more than two years of war, repeated displacement, and
the loss of loved ones.
Wael, an UNRWA focal point for Mental
Health and Psychosocial Support in the Gaza Strip, has witnessed how the
art activities have made a difference.
“The children transformed their
feelings, experiences, and aspirations into powerful artworks that speak
of both their struggles and their hope for a better future. The
initiative gave them a voice, while strengthening their well-being and
helping them rebuild hope in the most challenging circumstances.”
The project also attracted older children eager to develop their artistic talents.
For 16-year-old UNRWA school graduate
Khadija, living in the Asmaa shelter in Beach Camp, art became a means
of documenting the realities faced by children in the Gaza Strip. Having
lost both her home and her brother during the war, she used her artwork
to reflect on the experiences that continue to shape her community.
"I saw a child whose arms had been
amputated playing hopscotch in the street," she recalls. "These are the
real losses in life, the moments of joy that disappear. We have been
deprived of everything. I want to express the suffering of the
children..." READ MORE https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/photos/paint-paper-and-pencils-help-children-gaza-strip-cope-trauma-and-loss
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