GAZA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- For seven-year-old Camelia Hadi, swimming is more than a sport. It has brought her a moment of joy and a chance to feel like a child again after years of war.
The laughter of Hadi rang out as she swam among dozens of children in the sea off Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. For a few hours, she looked like any other child her age, enjoying the water and learning to swim with her peers.
For Hadi, however, such moments are rare.
She was four when the war began in October 2023 and has since been displaced more than 20 times after her family lost their home. The hardship has also forced her to take on responsibilities beyond her years, including helping her family obtain water and bread.
"When I am here, I feel like a normal child," she said. "I laugh, I play and I learn to swim. I hope we can always come to the sea and live without fear."
Hadi was among hundreds of children who took part in "Swim With Gaza," a swimming event organized by the Gaza-based Tantish Swimming Academy and running through the end of this month.
The initiative seeks to give children an opportunity to participate in sports and recreational activities while helping them develop swimming skills and regain a sense of normality after years of war.
Among the participants was 11-year-old Farah Hassan Abu Halima, who said she initially felt frightened and uneasy about joining the swimming lessons. Her feelings changed after she arrived at the event.
"At first, I was afraid and uneasy, but when I heard about the courses, I was encouraged to register," said Halima. "When I arrived, I found a wonderful atmosphere. The swimming coaches and the activities made us happy and lifted our spirits."
Amjad Tantish, head of the Tantish Swimming Academy, said that more than 2,500 children had learned to swim since the current season began in June, when the initiative was relaunched after being suspended during the war.
According to Tantish, "Swim With Gaza" week has also drawn participants at dozens of locations worldwide in solidarity with Gaza's children. He said the initiative aims to help children cope with the difficult circumstances they have experienced.
"These swimming lessons are not only about sport. They give children a chance to play, have fun and escape the harsh conditions around them."
He said that swimming skills also have practical importance in Gaza, where many children spend time near the sea. He added that the initiative also honors six swimming instructors who were killed during the war, including his brother.
The need for such activities is underscored by the toll of the war on Gaza's children. Since October 2023, over 21,500 Palestinian children have been killed, with many others injured, orphaned or displaced, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government media office in July.
Abdullah al-Jamal, director of Gaza's psychiatric hospital, described the psychological situation as "catastrophic," especially among children with moderate to severe war-related disorders. "Children feel insecure and afraid, negatively impacting their lives and risking long-term trauma and disorders," al-Jamal said.
A 2024 survey showed that 96 percent of children in the surveyed households in Gaza felt that death was imminent, while 92 percent struggled to accept their new reality.
Ismail Qudaih, 12, from Khan Younis, said taking part in the swimming activities had given him moments of joy and helped him temporarily escape the painful memories of the war, in which he lost his mother and three siblings.
"When I get into the water, I feel different. For a while, I stop thinking about the war and everything that happened to my family. I can swim, play and laugh with the other children," he said.
His father, Ibrahim Qudaih, said the most significant change was seeing his son smile and enjoy himself again.
"Children in Gaza need spaces where they can feel safe and where they can simply be children. They need to play, exercise, laugh and meet other children. These things may seem small, but for a child who has lost his mother and siblings, they can make a very big difference," the father said. ■
