The economic and social conditions in Iraq have led to a blockage of the horizons of the young generation, which has raised suicide rates.
In a breathtaking scene, social networking sites in Iraq were buzzing with a video documenting the rescue of a young man who tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the top of the first bridge in the northern city of Mosul.
🔴 Rescue a young man who attempted suicide by throwing himself
From the top of the old bridge in Mosul. pic.twitter.com/BULSgOLq1l– Firas W. Alsarray – Firas Al-Saray (@firasalsarrai) February 20, 2023
The first bridge, known as Al-Jisr Al-Atiq or the Old Bridge, is a bridge over the Tigris River that connects the left and right coasts of the city of Mosul.
It is noteworthy that the Commission for Human Rights revealed, last December, the suicide rates in Iraq during the past years.
600-700 cases annually!
Commission member Ali al-Bayati said in a statement to local media that Iraq recorded, from 2003 to 2014, 3.6% of suicides per 100,000 people. However, the figures rose after 2014 to 4.2% per 100,000 inhabitants. Then the number decreased until it reached 3.8% in 2019, and then the percentage increased again as a result of the changes that occurred.
He also added that Iraq annually records approximately 600-700 suicides. According to global averages, each case corresponds to two failed suicide attempts.
He also pointed out that the political, economic and health crises may push citizens to commit suicide, “noting that” in light of the current crises that Iraq is going through, we believe that the rates of suicide cases have risen alarmingly.
Poverty and unemployment
It is noteworthy that Iraq recorded a significant increase in suicide cases, which spread among the youth in particular. While specialists attributed this to the repercussions of the unstable situation in the country, they called for solutions to this dangerous phenomenon that is killing society.
The various economic and social problems, most notably poverty, unemployment, and the lack of hope for positive change, have also affected the country, with the continuing state of political crises in the country, and the government’s failure to deal with service files and control levels of poverty and unemployment in all cities of Iraq as well.
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