Three die of suicide amid mounting psychological, financial stress in Syria

At least three people have committed suicide in northern Syria over the past three days, amid a considerable increase in suicide attempts across the region, The New Arab’s Arabic language service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

The cases include an 18-year-old girl who hung herself in the northern village of Kufra, a 22-year-old man who committed suicide in Idlib and a 31-year-old in the town of Kafr Daryan.

The number of suicide attempts in the region – which humanitarian workers say have increased due to significant financial, psychological and displacement related stresses – have reached 26 since the beginning of this year, Muhammad Hallaj, an official from the Syrian Response Coordinators team told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Six of the attempts failed, while 20 reportedly resulted in the deaths of 9 children, six women, and five men.

"One of the reasons for the increase in suicides is the significant increase in the proportion of drug users… in addition to the deteriorating economic situation… [alongside] psychological causes, and cases of family separation,” Hallaj said.

Hallaj noted that the number of suicides in northern Syria this year is exceptionally high, with 24 suicides being recorded during the whole of last year.

Fares Zuaiter, another young man, ended his own life yesterday in #Idlib in #Syria by using a gas pill intended to kill mice, which has recently become one of the cheap and usual methods of suicide. Tragedy, disappointment, and defeat, this is the situation of the Syrians today. pic.twitter.com/hyr82Y3Q7R

— Mousa Zidane (@Zidane084) May 21, 2022

“We appeal to humanitarian organisations to activate psychiatric clinics… [and] to support civilians and the displaced and secure the basic requirements for them,” the Syrian Response Coordinators group said in a statement on Sunday.

The group highlighted civilians' “constant state of constant concern" about sources of income, re-displacement as a result of threats by regime forces and Russia and stresses regarding their inability to return to their homes for fear of reprisals by the regime.

Following the Syrian uprising – which saw President Bashar al-Assad violently crack down on pro-democracy protesters – the country suffered a devastating economic crisis which threw around 80% of Syrians into poverty.