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The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has set up summer camps for children in Gaza in an effort to mitigate the effects of the recent conflict with Israel.
STORY-LINE:
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Sunday launched the "summer fun camps" for the children of Gaza to mitigate the effects of the recent conflict with Israel.
A statement issued by UNRWA said the activities in the camps come with the aim of enhancing the mental health of children who were affected by the recent war.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, was visiting one of the camps.
He said "these summer camps this year are particularly important. We started a few weeks after this intense conflict which has affected the entire population in Gaza."
150,000 children have registered to participate in a month-long programme of summer activities organized by the UNRWA.
These children will "reconnect among themselves and start a healing process , because most of them have been deeply psychologically impacted during the conflict," Lazzarini said.
UNRWA has confirmed that all staff working in the summer games have received the vaccine against COVID-19.
There will be football and basketball games for the children.
There is also handicrafts, as well as bouncy castles and trampolines for the younger children, Lazzarini said.
Egypt brokered a cease-fire that went into effect on May 21, ending the fourth war between Israel and Hamas since the militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007.
The war started when Hamas fired salvos of rockets toward Jerusalem and other Israeli towns last month.
Hamas says the attacks were a response to Israeli police raids and heavy-handed policy against Muslim worshippers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and planned evictions of Palestinian families from an Arab neighbourhood.
Children in Gaza don't have many options of entertainment.
The UN camps provide them with one way of having fun.
Summer activities in UNRWA schools are expected to continue until the end of July.
