'People have lost hope': Lebanon's only suicide hotline inundated

A woman stands near the Raouche Rocks, after a silent walk organised by Lebanese non-profit organisation Embrace, marking World Suicide Prevention Day, in Beirut recently. Photos: Reuters

The phones at Lebanon's only suicide hotline hardly ever stop ringing as people grow more and more desperate in the face of a financial downturn that has spurred a mental health crisis.

In one call, a father says he is thinking of taking his own life because he is unable to feed his children, and in another, a man recently made homeless says he has lost all hope.