Psychiatrist Fadel Afana's Journey: Escaping Rafah and Settling in Paris
Rewritten Article:
Meet Fadel Afana, a Palestinian psychiatrist who's been following an unconventional routine since December 2024. His days start early with a two-hour commute on the Parisian public transport, followed by a stint at Sainte-Anne Hospital in the 14th arrondissement, where he listens to patients. Contrasting with the turbulence his hometown, Rafah in Gaza Strip, endures—battles, terror, and war that his kin are grappling with—Fadel finds solace in this daily routine. Sadly, several of his family members back home have perished since he fled to France in October.
This opportunity, a blessing he cherishes sharing with his wife and two daughters, came about thanks to the Pause program. Created within the hallowed walls of the Collège de France in 2017, Pause offers temporary sanctuary to scientists and artists in exile. Last Friday, April 25, 16 more Gazan beneficiaries and their families, who'd been stranded at the Egypt-Gaza border for a year, finally made it to France, according to Laura Loheac, Pause's director. While the world's focus remains on the battlefields of science, Pause's roster echoes the global map of conflicts and oppressive regimes, Laura explains. After sheltering scholars and artists from Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, and Ukraine, the program extended its reach to Palestine in 2021.
Insight: The Pause program provides short-term academic and artistic sanctuary to individuals threatened by persecution or danger in their native lands. Established in 2017, it works in conjunction with French institutions to offer financial assistance, visas, and resources so that displaced scholars and artists can carry on their work in France[4]. Lately, the program has been instrumental in rescuing over 100 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since October 2023[4]. Though the program's remit since 2017 likely spans scholars and artists from various conflict zones or oppressive regimes, specific countries aren't explicitly named in the available documentation[4].
Moreover, a job listing for a Pause communications officer, posted in April 2025, confirms its ongoing operation and affiliation with the Collège de France in Paris[5]. Detailed historical information about countries of origin can be gleaned from the program's official reports, beyond the cited sources.
- Fadel Afana, a Palestinian psychiatrist from Rafah in the Gaza Strip, commutes daily on the Parisian public transport, seeking solace in his routine amidst the war and conflicts in Gaza.
- His unusual journey to France was facilitated by the Pause program, a sanctuary for scientists and artists in exile, established within the Collège de France in 2017.
- Last April, more Gazan beneficiaries and their families, stranded at the Egypt-Gaza border for a year, were welcomed to France through the Pause program.
- The Pause program extends its aid to scholars and artists from various war-torn regions and oppressive regimes, including Palestine, as evident since 2021.
- In health-and-wellness news, mental health remains a crucial aspect of individuals who have experienced displacement due to conflicts and political instability.
- The Pause program, in association with French institutions, provides financial assistance, visas, and resources, allowing these displaced scholars and artists to continue their work in the field of science and arts.
