In Lebanon, a telephone support line to avoid suicides during the holiday season
Audio 01:18
In Lebanon, the population lives at the rate of political crises and violence, but also at the rate of shortages and permanent price increases.
Here, in Beirut, October 26, 2021 © REUTERS - ISSAM ABDALLAH
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Lebanon, the inhabitants are preparing to spend a very sad end of year celebrations.
It has been more than two years since the country sank into chaos and no one seems to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
The Lebanese are plunging into depression and the number of suicides is increasing.
To deal with this mental health crisis, an NGO has set up a free psychological support line.
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With our correspondent in Beirut
,
Noé Pignède
Struck by
a
historic
economic
and political
crisis
, shortages of electricity, medicines and the explosion in the number of coronavirus cases, the Lebanese are plunging into depression and the number of suicides is increasing.
An NGO has set up a free psychological support line to deal with the crisis.
"
Hello, how can I help you?"
», Begins the operator.
“
I can't take it anymore.
To stay alive is to continue to suffer.
I want to end it
.
"
►Also listen
:
Lebanon: how do you live in a country in crisis?
Responding to distress calls is the daily life of
Embrace Lebanon
operators
.
In their office in downtown Beirut, the phone rang 9,000 times this year, three times more than in 2019 before the crisis began.
The psychological support center is now open 24 hours a day.
Nearly 120 volunteers like Alya, take turns to respond to the emergency.
A daily life that has become unlivable
for many Lebanese who can no longer manage to find light, heat or feed their families.
A particularly difficult situation of distress to live during the Christmas holidays.
“
The holiday season is always difficult.
Some people remember loved ones killed
in the port explosion,
with whom they used to spend the holidays,
explains Dana,
an operator.
Others worry about their financial situation because they can't celebrate Christmas like they used to.
People no longer have the heart to party
.
"
According to a study conducted by the association, one in four Lebanese will suffer from a mental illness during their lifetime.
It is one of the highest rates in the world.
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Lebanon
Economic crisis
Health and medicine