Iraq facing alarming rise in divorce rates, calls for urgent action

Director of the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq, Fazil al-Gharawi, has highlighted a concerning surge in divorce rates in the country over the last three years, posing a significant threat to families and society. Al-Gharawi stated on Sunday that a staggering 143,000 divorces are expected to be recorded in Iraq in 2022 and 2023. In December alone, Iraqi courts processed over 7,000 divorce cases, with only 1,843 undergoing domestic trials and the remaining 5,610 settled out of court. Citing reasons for the escalating divorce rates, Al-Gharawi pointed to a lack of cultural understanding and communication between spouses, alongside