Introduction » Background » Why are houses demolished? » What happens after?
Once a home is demolished, the family loses both the house as a financial asset and often the property inside it; in addition it is liable for the costs of the house demolition which can run up to tens of thousands of dollars. To avoid these costs, Palestinians subject to administrative house demolitions may “opt” to undertake the demolition of their own home and pay a smaller fine in a deal with authorities. It is not known how many Palestinians choose this route; however, ICAHD fears that their numbers rival those whose homes are demolished by the authorities.
The demolition of inhabited structures may affect many families at a time. Often in the OPT, the entire extended family lives in close proximity to one another, and even in the same building. The demolition of one structure therefore, or collective demolitions within a defined area, can destroy not just the family domicile but also each nuclear family’s most immediate source of support and social capital.
When a house is demolished, individuals must cope with the trauma in an environment of family trauma, which makes it much more difficult to receive the needed care. For children, who would normally be protected and cared for by their parents, the initial trauma is magnified.
Depression, for instance, is one prevalent symptom after the experience of trauma, especially one of loss. One study published on the psychological impact of house demolition showed a tendency among mothers in these families to develop symptoms of depression. Other studies show that children tend to experience behavioral and emotional disturbances when parents are not able to meet the child’s needs due to their own distractions.
