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Kurdistan Region-Iraq News in brief
26.5.2007
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May 26, 2007 - Sulaimaniyah,
Erbil, Duhok, Kirkuk, Kurdistan Region (Iraq)
Deaths of premature babies increase in Duhok
Duhok, -- Recent statistics on birth and
mortality rates in Duhok, the third province within
Iraq's Kurdistan region, showed an increase in death
rates, particularly among premature babies.
According to official statistics, 1,555 people died
in Duhok during the first four months of 2007,
compared to 1,378 during the same period of 2006.
"Concerning premature mortality, deaths of 41
premature babies were registered in January 2006,
compared to 52 in January 2007," Surour Sadiq Bahaa
Eddin, the director of planning and health education
in Duhok's Health Department,said.
Bahaa Eddin attributed the high death rate among
premature babies to their need for special care and
incubators, which he said are not sufficiently
available in Duhok's hospitals. "Duhok's main Azadi
hospital is in need of 30 incubators and a trained
team of nurses. It is not possible to just install
the incubators in any health center because they
need special care," Bahaa Eddin indicated.
According to Bahaa Eddin, the Ministry of Health in
Iraq's Kurdistan region signed a contract with the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to upgrade
delivery rooms in Azadai hospital and in hospitals
in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah in an effort to reduce the
number of deaths of premature babies.
Economic independence increases divorce rate in
Duhok
Duhok, -- A recent increase in divorce rates
in Duhok, the third province within Iraq's Kurdistan
region, was attributed to changes in the economic
situation and women's growing awareness of their
rights.
Muhammad Mousa Ahmed, a clerk in Duhok's Personal
Status Court, said, "Divorce is a frequent issue in
the court now," with reference to a change in
attitude from both men and women whom he said would
avoid divorce in the past. "In 2002 and 2003 it was
uncommon to find a man resorting to the court to
divorce his wife. Now it is quite frequent," Ahmed
said.
"In 2006, the court considered 50 divorce cases and
81 separation cases and decided 27 cases, which
means a grand total of 158 cases, a relatively large
number compared to the years prior to 2006." Other
cases related to divorce, including alimony and the
custody of minor children, are also on the rise,
Mousa added.
Saoud Masto Najm from Duhok's Summil district
attributed the recent increase in the divorce rate
to the current economic situation and a gap in the
educational levels between the spouses, while Aisha
Abdullah Nabiy, a lawyer, linked the phenomenon to
women's increasing awareness of their rights.
According to her, most of the cases are filed by
girls seeking divorce from men living outside Iraq.
"Some girls are married to men living outside Iraq,
who do not send for them…There is also a soaring
divorce rate in cases of early marriage," Abdullah
Nabiy.
Commenting on the large number of divorce petitions
filed by men in the province of Duhok, Abdullah
Nabiy said, "In the past men were embarrassed about
filing petitions for divorce. Now it is perfectly
natural because of the awareness campaigns."
When comparing the number of divorce cases filed by
men with those filed by women, Akram Michael al-Najjar,
a lawyer in Duhok, said that most petitions are
filed by men, citing the difference in social and
economic standards between the spouses as a main
reason behind most divorce cases.
VOI interviewed a number of women and men who had
been to the court to obtain a divorce. When asked
the reasons for her wanting a divorce, S.H.M., a
28-year-old woman, said, "Now we are more aware of
our rights. My father married me to a man against my
wishes. Now that I am financially independent I do
not want to live with a man I do not love."
Meanwhile, Manal K. said that she sought divorce
because she did not want to live in a house where no
one respected her. "Even my husband considered me a
cheap commodity. Why wouldn't I seek divorce?" Manal
wondered.
Men, on the other hand, had other reasons for
divorce. Muhammad Hassan Salim, 31, whose divorce
case was decided by the court a few days ago, said,
"I am fed up of living with a woman who is hard to
please. She is always asking for a lot of money,
which I cannot afford. The sad thing is that she
took my three children according to the court's
ruling."
VOI
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