War doesn’t end when the fighting stops. For many people, it continues quietly inside their minds and hearts for years.
How Trauma Travels From Parents to Children
- The emotional impact of war does not end with those who experience it firsthand. Parents carrying unresolved trauma may unintentionally pass their pain on to their children. Even if children never witness violence, they can still feel its effects through their family environment.
- Some parents become overly protective, afraid that the world will harm their children. Others withdraw emotionally because they are overwhelmed by their own pain. Children growing up in such homes may struggle with anxiety, anger, or trust issues. Stories filled with fear and loss shape how they view life, making the world feel unsafe and uncertain.
- Studies suggest that extreme trauma may even affect how the body reacts to stress, potentially influencing future generations. Families affected by war, genocide, or forced displacement often carry emotional and biological traces of suffering long after the conflict ends.
Rise in Substance Use and Self-Harm
- When emotional pain becomes too heavy to carry, some people look for ways to escape it. After wars, alcohol and drug use often rise as survivors try to forget painful memories or calm constant fear. These habits may bring short-term relief but often worsen mental health over time.
- Self-harm also increases during and after conflicts. Some people injure themselves as a way to cope with emotional pain they cannot express. Suicide rates tend to rise as well, especially among young people who feel hopeless about rebuilding their future.
- Women often face additional burdens. Many experience abuse or violence during conflict, leaving deep emotional scars. Shame, fear, and social isolation can push survivors toward harmful behaviours as they struggle to regain control over their lives.
Collapse of Community Support Systems
- War destroys far more than roads and buildings. it breaks the bonds that hold communities together. Families are separated as people flee to different regions or countries. Places of worship, schools, and community centres are damaged or abandoned. Neighbours who once supported each other are scattered, focused only on survival.
- Cultural traditions and healing practices that once helped people cope disappear during conflict. Elders who carry wisdom and guidance may be lost, displaced, or too traumatised to help others. Trust within communities weakens as people witness betrayal, violence, or silence in the face of suffering.
- Without strong social connections, healing becomes much harder. Children grow up without extended family support, and adults face trauma alone. Healthcare systems meant to help with mental and emotional recovery are often destroyed or overwhelmed, leaving entire communities struggling to heal without the support they desperately need.
Collapse of Healthcare Systems and Public Health Crises
When war breaks out, healthcare is often one of the first systems to fail, putting millions of lives at risk.
Destruction of Hospitals and Medical Facilities
- Hospitals and clinics are frequently damaged or destroyed during conflicts. Some are directly attacked, while others are caught in crossfire. Entire regions may be left without functioning medical care.
- Even when buildings remain standing, equipment is often destroyed or unusable. Power cuts, water shortages, and damaged supply lines make it impossible to perform surgeries or provide basic care. Ambulances, laboratories, and emergency services also stop functioning, leaving the injured with nowhere to go.
Failure to Control Disease Outbreaks
- War disrupts public health systems. Vaccination programs stop, allowing preventable diseases to return. Illnesses that were once under control spread quickly when medical monitoring collapses.
- Poor sanitation makes the situation worse. Sewage systems break down, garbage piles up, and clean water becomes scarce. These conditions allow diseases to spread rapidly, affecting children, the elderly, and displaced populations the most.
Doctors and Nurses Forced to Leave
- Healthcare workers often flee conflict zones to protect their lives. As doctors and nurses leave, hospitals face severe staff shortages. This loss of skilled professionals creates long-term damage, even after peace returns.
- Those who stay behind work under extreme pressure. They treat patients without enough medicine, electricity, or safety. Many face threats or attacks, leading to exhaustion, trauma, and burnout.
Rising Death Rates Among Mothers and Children
- Pregnant women and children suffer the most when healthcare collapses. Without proper medical support, complications during childbirth become deadly. Many women die from conditions that are easily treatable in peaceful settings.
- Children miss vaccinations and medical checkups. Malnutrition increases as food and medical support disappear. Newborns die from simple infections or breathing problems due to the lack of basic neonatal care.
Shortage of Life-Saving Medicines
- War disrupts medicine supply chains. People with chronic illnesses lose access to essential drugs for diabetes, heart disease, mental health, and infections. Cancer treatments stop, and patients with HIV or other serious conditions are left without medication.
- Aid organisations try to help, but reaching affected areas is difficult. Supplies are delayed, damaged, or blocked. In some places, medicines are sold illegally at high prices, making them unaffordable for those who need them most. These shortages turn treatable conditions into life-threatening crises.