Official: Marriage, divorce rates decrease in Gaza Strip in 2017

The head of the Supreme Sharia Council in the Gaza Strip, Hassan Al-Jojo, said yesterday that the divorce rate has decreased by 3.5 per cent to reach 3,255 divorce cases in 2017 compared to 3,368 in 2016.

Speaking during a press conference, Al-Jojo said that marriage rates had also declined by 10.8 per cent compared to the previous year.

Al-Jojo described the decrease in marriage as dangerous adding that it reflects negatively on society.

“Poverty, unemployment and a lack of money mean many young people are not able to marry,” Al-Jojo said calling for young people to be provided with job opportunities and housing to allow them to have a decent life.

Read: Gaza poverty blamed for fall in marriages and increase in divorce rate

“The siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and the difficult economic situation have increased social and family dysfunction,” he added.

According to Al-Jojo, a majority of divorce cases were documented in the city of Gaza which witnessed 1,214 divorces, an increase of 24 cases compared to last year followed by central governorates with 579 cases, Khan Yunis 446 cases and Rafah with 410 cases.

He called on the international community and official bodies to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.