Politics

IHCHR raise alarm bells as suicide rate ‘on the rise’ in Iraq

In the first three months of 2019, 132 people in Iraq have committed suicide, a significant increase from previous years, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR).

Sangar Ali 2019/04/24 06:50

middle east Iraq Basra Suicide Karbala Kirkuk Corruption

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In the first three months of 2019, 132 people in Iraq have committed suicide, a significant increase from previous years, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR).

The increasing number of suicides in the country is alarming and dangerous, Zidan Khalaf al-Atwani, an IHCHR member, said on Tuesday, calling for relevant Iraqi authorities to stand up and take measures to control the phenomenon.

Among the Iraqi provinces, Karbala tops the list with 20 cases within the first three months of 2019, followed by Basra with 19, Kirkuk 15, and Dhi Qar, 14, according to the IHCHR.

“We are following each case with great concern,” said Fatin Abdul-Wahid Halafi, another member of the IHCHR.

She called on Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to instrucy centers associated with him to conduct specialized studies to uncover the root causes of the phenomenon, as suicide remains a strong taboo in Iraq, and identify solutions.

Sixteen years after the 2003 fall of the authoritarian regime, most parts of Iraq suffer from a chronic lack of basic services like electricity and clean water, inadequate infrastructure, compounded by widespread corruption, high unemployment rates, poverty and regular insurgent attacks by jihadist groups.

Corruption and mismanagement within Iraq’s government institutions remain a challenge and obstacle for civilians hoping for stability to come to the country.

Iraq has one of the world’s largest oil reserves and is the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The embattled Middle Eastern nation, however, continues to rank high on Transparency International’s list for corruption, fraud, and mismanagement of state institutions.

According to the organization’s 2018 Corruption Index, Iraq ranks 168th, the twelfth most corrupt country out of a total of 180.

Editing by Nadia Riva