Kurdistan reports 130K divorces in 14 years

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Kurdistan Men’s Union (KMU) reported that approximately 130,000 divorce cases have been recorded in the Kurdistan Region over the past 14 years.

“The toll was recorded from 2010 until the end of 2023. Major divorce cases left about 270,000 child victims,” Burhan Ali, head of the union, told Shafaq News Agency.

He added, "This number is very high," noting that "in Iraq, 1 in every 4 marriages ends in divorce, while in Kurdistan, the rate is 1 in every 3 to 4 marriages."

Regarding divorce causes, Burhan Ali stated that “the economic crisis, technology, and other reasons were sufficient to end the couple’s relationship through divorce.”

Under Article 39 of Iraq's Personal Status Law No. 188, initiating a divorce requires filing a lawsuit and obtaining a court judgment in a Sharia court. If unable to appear in court, registration during the waiting period is necessary. The marriage remains valid until a court decree. However, if the court finds the husband's divorce to be arbitrary and causing harm to the wife, she may be awarded compensation based on the husband's finances and the severity of his actions, capped at two years of maintenance in addition to her other legal entitlements.