Open Letter to Our Colleagues, World Governments and the International Community.
A call for peace, a call for Humanity

From Mental Health Scientists and Professionals (Worldwide) at the Global Network of Psychologists for Human Rights, drafted by the Steering Committee of the GNPHR

We, mental health professionals and scientists are deeply shocked about the increase in armed conflicts across the globe. In Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond, people suffer intensely. Every day, harrowing images of human suffering and dehumanisation from conflict zones fill the news. These scenes, depending on where we live, echo across our media and minds. We are not merely watching a crisis — it seems as if we are witnessing the erosion of our shared humanity.

This loss of humanity is most acutely felt when those dedicated to saving lives become targets themselves. The targeting of aid workers in Gaza, and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, is inhumane. When humanitarian access is denied and health workers are endangered or killed, the consequences are catastrophic. Physical suffering is interwoven with deep psychological wounds. These wounds do not heal with a ceasefire, but are passed on from generation to generation — shaping identities,  group relationships, and entire communities.

As mental health professionals and scientists, we bear witness to the enduring psychological, biological, spiritual, behavioural, and social impact of war. We observe:

  • Transgenerational trauma: passing on from one generation to the next;
  • Revived trauma: where new atrocities reopen old wounds;
  • Secondary traumatisation: affecting those who witness others’ suffering;
  • Moral injury: the psychological distress caused by violating one’s moral code, or witnessing such violations — often described as powerless anger and even more powerless grief.
  • Palpable fear of being victims of increased discrimination – and of racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic behaviour.

We see the devastating effects of war on children:

  • Developmental delays due to the loss of basic safety and education;
  • Permanent growth retardation, weakened immunity, and cognitive impairment from persistent malnutrition;
  • Mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress.

War does not end when weapons fall silent. The trauma lives on — embedded in minds, bodies, and communities.

As professionals, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to speak out on what must be done. As Hannah Arendt states: ‘the highest sin is indifference’.

We therefore call on each of us to make an urgent appeal to our governments and the international community to:

  • Stop the war in Gaza – to safeguard the lives and dignity of civilians.
  • Ensure immediate and safe access to humanitarian aid.
  • Make sure all hostages are freed.
  • Restore and uphold human dignity and human rights for all citizens.
  • Protect health workers and humanitarian personnel.
  • Guarantee access to both physical and mental health care.
  • Destroy the weapons that will otherwise circulate and harm civilians for generations.

The psychological consequences of violence are not abstract. They are measurable, devastating, and long-lasting.

We acknowledge the voices within conflict regions who are speaking out — including 600 prominent Israelis (among them former intelligence chiefs, generals, and a former defence minister) who urged: “Stop the Gaza War.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid described current government policy as ‘a disaster that will lead to many more disasters’. Israeli organizations like B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights have also raised the alarm.

As psychologists, mental health professionals and scientists, we may not hold political power like our governments do. But we hold ethical authority — rooted in science, clinical experience, and humanity — to speak out against injustice and in defence of human dignity.

We urge you: act now. Not after more lives are lost. Not once traumata become irreparable. The time to act is now — to prevent further suffering, and to protect the future of generations to come.

Do you have comments on this open letter?

Please send to info@humanrightspsychology.org