Stressed

In late June, the Norwegian Refugee Council set out on an eight-week investigation to assess the psychological impact of Covid-19 on refugee and displaced children in the Middle East.

Through a regional survey, qualitative research, expert testimony, and on-the-ground reporting, we have unearthed that children who were once forced to flee hunger, bombs, and bullets, now face an epidemic of fear caused by the global coronavirus. With no end to the outbreak in sight, toxic stress poses a major health threat to the Middle East’s most vulnerable children.