UN: 309 suicide cases in Iraq in 2020

Shafaq News / United Nations Human rights office of the high commissioner in Iraq announced on Monday that 309 suicide cases have been recorded in 2020.

Member of the office, Fadel Al-Gharawi, said in a statement that the office registered 594 suicide cases and attempts in 2019 throughout Iraq, while in 2020, 309 cases were recorded.

Regarding the motives, Al-Gharawi said, "the office found out that social, psychological and economic factors may be the most important reasons", adding, "poverty is the most prominent factor that drives young people to suicide, and includes unemployment, the inability to secure living conditions (especially in the outskirts of cities), the lack of religious faith, miscommunication, and the repercussions of war and terrorism".

"Most cases belonged to women and men in their twenties", he noted.

"The Commission calls on the government to take urgent measures to promote and protect human rights, provide job opportunities, secure services, decent living and adequate housing, to ward off the risk of suicide," Al-Gharawi added.