Jerusalem – As part of its Child Protection Program, the Palestinian Counseling Center organized the workshop, Protect Children from Drug Abuse. In partnership with UNICEF and financed by the European Union, the workshop took place at the Flowers Center in Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem. Members of partner institutions, teachers, and parents attended the event, where they participated in discussions regarding protection methods, recognizing drug-related risks and signs, child development and child-parent relationships. The workshop also included the presentation of a research paper produced by Caritas, addressing the both the physical and psychological effects that drug abuse has on children.
Parents at the workshop emphasized that there existed a great need within Shu’fat for further information on drug abuse and suggested weekly gatherings take place to address this subject. A call for further collaboration and information sharing between institutions within the camp was also made, so that they may take a more proactive role in deterring abuse collectively.