Its victims are women .. Domestic violence escalates due to quarantine

The Middle East is no exception to the increase in cases of domestic violence, but these violations can be more severe because the region was already suffering from economic and political crises even before the arrival of the Coruna virus.

Compulsory domestic isolation and the accompanying mental disorders, financial problems and uncertainty seem like a nightmare that does not want to end. But imagine that, above all, you live in a small house with someone who gets angry because of a lack of resources.

An alarming increase
In the report published by the British newspaper, The Independent, Bill True, highlighted the alarming increase in cases of domestic violence that governments and human rights organizations around the world monitored due to people remaining in the compulsory quarantine as a result of the spread of the Coronavirus.

Prohibition measures due to the spread of the virus take more stringent forms in the Middle East compared to the United Kingdom, for example, as it is not even allowed to practice sports abroad. In Tunisia, the government gradually banned people from going to stores, and the authorities said cases of domestic violence increased fivefold.

In Jordan, where strict procedures were also applied, a video of a woman describing the abuse she was subjected to was quarantined.

In Lebanon, where exercise is prohibited outside, and the curfew applies at night and during the weekend, calls to the government-designated hotline for reporting domestic violence have doubled.

Missing government support,
and the human rights organization Abaad, which runs a shelter for victims of domestic violence, monitored the deterioration of matters for the worse, as it reported that the number of calls to its helplines increased by about 60% this year compared to the same period in 2019.

The organization has received more than 500 calls since January, most of them women, which is more than the total number of calls received during the whole of 2019.

"We not only notice the high number of calls, but also the increase in violence and death threats," said Ghida Anani, founder and director of the Abaad organization.

She noted that the lack of serious government support - such as financial aid - makes matters worse, for those who tend to be violent and under pressure put their anger on their families.

"Most of the women calling us ask for help," she says. "We need this. He may kill me and kill the children because we have no food at home. They also say that if they get some support, the violence may subside."

A stone that is not booked And
recently, the "Abaad" organization urged people all over Lebanon to go out to their balcony at six in the evening to help spread the hotline number for victims of domestic violence, under the tag "# stone not booked".

The organization also works to organize sessions by applying Skype to victims, and to men with a history of violence, to prevent the spread of attacks. Abaad also cooperated with the government in distributing aid, providing flyers, and helpline numbers to support people.

Before the outbreak, the World Bank expected 40% of the Lebanese people to be below the poverty line this year, especially after the popular revolution that erupted in October against rising prices and against corruption.

Experts revealed that the country's economy is now in a state of total collapse without any alternative plans, and that it is likely that half of the country's population of more than six million people will be below the poverty line in 2020.

Food costs are rising, while the currency has lost half its value in the parallel market. Meanwhile, unemployment rates have risen and banks' ability to access dollars has been constrained, causing more problems, and the government has announced financial support packages for the poorest families, but this has not yet been achieved.

This deteriorating economic situation can put additional strain on already exhausted families, which could exacerbate domestic violence.

Refugee camps
Human rights organizations expressed concern about the escalation of domestic violence in refugee camps, where many families, each of whom lives in one tent, or in crowded neighborhoods, and within the strictest curfews.

In this regard, Muhammad Hassan - a 30-year-old Palestinian refugee and a social activist in Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon - says he has noted a worrying escalation of violence in the poorest families.

He added that the quarantine measures also mean that human rights organizations that were rushing to help people can no longer do so, which makes matters worse.