Middle East Crisis: How the threat of being bombed affects children's mental health

"We monitor for persistent shifts in sleep, behaviour, appetite and play, which is very important for children, and also relationships, and that indicates the child is struggling," says World Vision Middle East & Eastern Europe Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Adviser Mike Kirakossian.

Since the escalation began in the Middle East in early March 2026, over 1 million people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes and are now displaced in their own country. This includes 390,000 children without a home.

Mike shares how children's mental health is affected when facing the constant threat of bombings and attacks, including what the outcome is when their brains tend to orient towards vigilance instead of playful exploration.