The Psychiatry Department and Embrace Fund at the American University of Beirut launched on Wednesday the first national awareness campaign to prevent suicide under the patronage of Minister of Health Wael Abou Faour.
In a press conference held at AUB, Abou Faour hailed the initiative made by the university which aims at shedding light on "an issue that is not heeded sufficiently," stressing that the private sector can assume a major role in the field of health.
"The statistics of the World Health Organization are shocking as they indicate that one person commits suicide every 40 seconds worldwide," he added.
Abou Faour also noted that accurate statistics carried out by Embrace showed that one suicide is committed every three days in Lebanon. He blamed suicide on the society, the state, and the "unfair" political, economic and social system in the country.
As for politics, Abou Faour considered that the latest developments in the Bekaa region were a very dangerous indicator.
"We say that the current government is a national unity one while in reality it is that of national cohabitation. There must be one work program for this government that would protect civil peace which is a top priority," he concluded by saying.
On Tuesday, clashes erupted between the Lebanese army and wanted suspects on the outskirts of the Bekaa town of Brital.
The clashes broke out as the army was carrying out raids in search for a hostage kidnapped from the nearby town of Saadnayel.
The captive was identified as Ayman Sawwan, who was kidnapped on Monday afternoon in the Bekaa city of Baalbek for unknown reasons.
The development led to unrest in his hometown of Saadnayel and prompted its residents to kidnap seven public van drivers in retaliation.
The seven drivers were released shortly after as a goodwill gesture towards Sawwan's kidnappers.