AFTER MORE THAN two years of relentless bombing in Gaza, the conflict in the Middle East has widened again.

Recent US and Israeli air strikes on Iran mark a dangerous escalation, extending the cycle of violence to countries such as Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Shellshocked communities across the region are under constant threat, while many expatriates have been trapped by the cancellation of flights. More than 300 Irish peacekeeping troops are based with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, as that country also faces airstrikes.

While the headlines focus on military targets and geopolitical strategy, war’s most enduring consequences are often less visible. Long after the bombs fall, the psychological wounds remain, which raises questions about trauma and the lasting human cost of conflict.

A little over a year ago, I ventured to Mexico City to attend a conference of the World Psychiatric Association. One of the speakers was Professor Nikos Christodoulou, a Greek psychiatrist and Chair of the World Psychiatric Association Section of Disaster Psychiatry. He described how there are somewhere between 400 and 500 natural disasters worldwide every year. Indeed, in the decade leading up to 2015, around 1.5 billion people were affected by them. Acute distress was reported in up to half of the survivors, of whom 30-40% progressed over time to a clinical diagnosis such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression.

A few factors play a role in this. PTSD is, of course, more common in people directly impacted by a disaster, especially if it’s man-made. Anxiety is higher in those with prolonged geographical displacement.

How we respond as a society is predictable enough; we goes through stages, from pre-disaster, to heroic (where some people step up to help) to honeymoon/community-cohesion (where everyone is nicer than usual to each other) to disillusionment (where it’s gone on a bit too long and people are getting fed up) to trigger events (such as anniversaries), to reconstruction (as society heals). This is what happened in our communities during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Since Trump and Netanyahu’s conflict with Iran started, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has appealed for “serious diplomatic negotiations”. Meanwhile, the UN and the WHO have their disaster response plans, which typically include the phases of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and........

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