How the children from Syria are coping with the return, speaks the Taphilaj psychiatrist

Whenever children from Syria see airplanes or hear noises and shots, they show fear.

Such a situation results from the traumas experienced during the war in Syria, says Valbona Tafilaj, psychiatrist and mental health co-ordinators for children and women returning from Syria. Tafilaj was among the first of the health professionals to meet these children.

According to her, most of the 74 children returned from Syria to Kosovo, in April of this year, have shown these symptoms.

In an interview for Radio Free Europe, Tafilaj shows that it was initially difficult to deal with 100 returning citizens.

Both children and women, she points out, have experienced trauma during times of conflict in Syria.

The fact that 100 people are returning at once... has been difficult. They have presented symptoms, such as insomnia, fear, great shocks, loud noises. These are some of the traumas they have shown. We had kids who were scared of the plane, because of the fighting that they were there, and we've been seriously dealing with that” part, she says.

tafilaj shows that the six-month period of treatment of women and children is going, according to her, very well.

There are no noises now, no war, no bombings and are growing up like all the other children. When it comes from a country where wars are fought all the time, then normally we don't expect someone who will come to normal without problems. But we've encountered problems that are natural and that respond to post-traumatic stress. - P The TSD, which usually experiences and benefits in countries where there is severe fighting”, she says.

tafilaj shows that she and other doctors continue to visit the returning women and children.

Within the framework of reintegration programmes, children returning from war zones are continuing to learn in several Kosovo schools.

So says Radio Free Europe, Venus Jaha from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MASHT).

The re-integration process of all children returned from war grounds is going very well. We, the Ministry of Education, are in direct contact with the Municipal Directors of Education and the school directors. The lesson is developing very well for them”, Jaha says.
Jaha also stresses that the Ministry of Education in co-operation with U NICEF and the OSCE are providing training for teachers and school psychologists in which returned students are continuing to teach.

“We are working intensively in co-operation with the U NICEF, OSCE, municipalities and other organisations, to offer a better and more friendly environment for these children”, she says.

In the last week of April this year, 110 citizens from Syria returned to Kosovo.

Four were foreign fighters, 74 children and 32 women, until dozens of Kosovo citizens continue to remain in Syria, but it is still unknown when they can return.