Trauma Care in Gaza
A VLIRUOS project co-led by KU Leuven and Gaza University to strengthen community-based trauma care and resilience in Gaza with global partners.
VLIRUOS Short Initiative 2025 ‘Working with communities in mental health care design in Gaza: A collaborative pilot study generating clinical, academic and policy-supporting capacity’ (Prof. L. De Haene & Dr. S. de Smet, KU Leuven)
In the aftermath of the destructive violence in the past two years, teams of experts in transcultural trauma care are working together on the design of community-based trauma care in Gaza. The project builds on recent research findings that highlight the role of community relationships recovery and reconstruction in the face of collective violence. Collective violence undermines the basic trust between people, disrupting their connections within their community and a sense of belonging to a shared, trustful and meaningful world. In the aftermath of this loss of connectedness, family and community relationships can play a vital role in restoring safety and connectedness. This is vital in the current context of collective violence, especially when no financial and institutional support exists. For this project, Palestinian researchers from Gaza University are working with a team from KU Leuven (Transcultural Trauma Care) and partners at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde.
In 2024, VLIRUOS added Palestine as a project country. In September 2025, the first five projects were launched. The project on mental health care with researchers from Gaza University is one of them. Despite the very difficult situation in Gaza, Gaza University continues to reach out to its students, who now live in precarious conditions across Gaza. The university offers digital education and supports personal and academic trajectories. The university also plays an active social role in Gaza and in international dialogue. It has been advocating for an end to violence, the dismantling of Hamas, and strong cooperation with the international community on peace and democratic governance.
The collaboration between Gaza University and KU Leuven is working on a pilot design and implementation for community-oriented trauma care. The design is developed in a digital Delphi study, a research method in which a large group of experts reach consensus. Palestinian mental health experts, local partner organisations in Gaza, and key figures from Palestinian communities are working together to identify current care needs and strategies for addressing them. Based on this Delphi study, a community-oriented approach to trauma care is being developed. This is now tested in a pilot project, with a dual roll-out for students and the wider community. Throughout this implementation, the scientific and policy support capacity of the partner institution Gaza University is also strengthened, and a broader policy framework for trauma care in Gaza is developed in collaboration with partners WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde.
At this critical stage, VLIRUOS focuses on pragmatic, quickly implementable actions that maintain personal contacts and provide tangible assistance. At the same time, close coordination with other Flemish and international partners ensures impact and sustainability. By focusing on human rights, dialogue and knowledge sharing, Flemish higher education institutions fulfil their social and international responsibility, keeping small glimmers of hope alive. The knowledge and experience gained from the various projects with Palestine may also be relevant to other conflict areas.
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