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Rabat – Moroccan member of parliament, Ikram El Hannaoui, has expressed concerns about the increase in suicide cases in northern Morocco, particularly Taounate — a town 84 kilometers away from Fez.
The MP, who represents the Progressive and Socialism Party, told Moroccan television channel 2M that the region is “considered one of the areas witnessing a growing trend of suicide.”
She said that despite this challenge, this crisis has not received “sufficient attention” to address the situation.
For El Hannaoui, psychological and social health as well as mental factors all contribute to the increase in suicide cases in Taounate.
She also called for socioeconomic and cultural programs to tackle the situation.
2M reported on Saturday that the region recorded four suicide incidents last week.
The latest suicide case involved a man in his 40s.
The escalating number of suicide cases in the region and in northern Morocco has been causing concerns. Over the past few years, several reports highlighted the gravity of the situation.
A report from the Human Rights Observatory of the North (ONDH) in 2019 said that the number of suicide cases in the Chefchaoun province reached 48 since the start of 2018, including 10 reported cases in 2019.
In September 2019, the World Health Organization also published a 2016 World Suicide Report,, showing Morocco among countries topping the list in North Africa in terms of suicide cases.
Morocco shows 3.6 female suicide deaths per 100,000 people. The kingdom has the highest female suicide rate in North Africa.
In 2016, Morocco recorded 1,014 suicides, of which 613 are women.
