Suicide over mounting debt strikes a chord in crisis-hit Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A suicide in Lebanon committed over mounting debt sparks a social media outcry in the protest-hit country, where weeks of political and economic turmoil have raised alarm.

Naji Fliti, a 40-year-old father of two, committed suicide outside his home in the border region of Arsal on Sunday because he could not pay outstanding medical bills for his cancer-stricken wife, a family member tells AFP.

The death resonates with many on social media, who blame the country’s under-fire political class for failing to address a months-long economic downturn that has resulted in inflation, swelling unemployment and fears of a currency devaluation.

“He is a victim of this regime, of this political class and their financial and monetary policies,” Doumit Azzi Draiby, an activist, says on Twitter.

An unprecedented anti-government protest movement has gripped Lebanon since October 17, fueled in part by deteriorating living conditions.

The World Bank has warned of an impending recession that may see the number of people living in poverty climb from a third to half of the population. Unemployment, already above 30 percent for young people, would also go up, it said.

— AFP