Al-Sulaymaniyah violence hotline logs 1,600 calls in six months

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

A hotline run by Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Directorate for Combating Violence against Women and Families received around 1,600 calls in the first half of 2026, including 950 from women, an official said on Thursday.

Raz Frya, the directorate’s media officer, told Shafaq News that most callers were seeking advice, while others reported various forms of violence, including online, physical and psychological abuse.

The 119 hotline was launched in 2018 by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Directorate General for Combating Violence against Women and Families, which operates under the Interior Ministry. It provides a free, round-the-clock service for complaints, counselling and assistance to people facing violence or family-related problems across the Kurdistan Region.

Violence against women remains a persistent social issue in the Region, amid challenges over enforcement of legal protections as well as social pressures and patriarchal attitudes within some families and communities.

Read more: Kurdistan Region: +13K domestic violence cases in 2024