Report Reveals Alarming Surge in Suicide Cases in Yemen, Majority in Houthi-Controlled Areas
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A report issued by the Yemeni Women’s Empowerment Foundation has uncovered a horrifying increase in suicide rates over the past ten years, particularly in areas under Houthi control, confirming that the phenomenon reflects the collapse of the psychological and social support system in the country.
The human rights report, titled Between Oppression and Abandonment and issued on the occasion of World Mental Health Day observed on October 10, recorded more than 1,660 suicide cases annually, with a rate of 5.2 cases per 100,000 people. The estimated total number during the decade of war is between 13,000 and 16,000 cases. The majority of these cases, approximately 78%, occurred in the Houthi-controlled provinces of Ibb, Taiz, Sana’a, and Dhamar, resulting from repression, poverty, and hopelessness. The report also indicated that online and emotional blackmail contributed to no less than 22% of suicide cases among women and girls, which is a dangerous indicator.
Collapse of the Mental Health System
The report noted the presence of only 60 psychiatrists throughout the entire country, with 80% of centers and clinics closed, and a complete absence of support hotlines or preventive programs. This has left thousands of Yemenis without any real psychological protection.
The report included painful testimonies, such as that of the child Ahmad Al-Husseini (12 years old), who hanged himself due to poverty; teacher Yasser Junaid (45 years old), who committed suicide after his salary was cut off; and inventor Abdulmajeed Allous (32 years old), who took his own life after his inventions were confiscated.
The Foundation confirmed that these cases represent just the tip of the iceberg and that the war has pushed thousands to take their own lives under the weight of poverty, abandonment, and despair, amid official silence and international neglect.
A Psychological Threat Menacing Generations
The report warned that suicide is no longer an individual act but a direct result of poverty, oppression, and the collapse of hope. It indicated that 7 million Yemenis suffer from psychological disorders due to the war, making urgent intervention a humanitarian necessity that cannot be delayed.
The Foundation demanded the establishment of a national program for psychological and social support, the reactivation of the Mental Health Department in the Ministry of Public Health, the launch of a free national hotline, and the empowerment of civil society organizations to raise awareness and combat suicide.
