VIENNA, Dec 8 (Reuters): The number of murders and other intentional killings surged to a record high across the world in 2021, driven in part by the stress and economic pressures of COVID-19 lockdowns, a U.N. report said on Friday.
Around 458,000 people were killed intentionally, higher than the 400,000 to 450,000 recorded every year since researchers started collating the data in 2000, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Study on Homicide said.
Escalations in gang or political violence in Ecuador, Myanmar and other countries played their part, the study said.
But the after-effects of lockdowns, where people were cooped up inside for long periods, also took their toll.
"The noticeable spike in killings in 2021 can be attributed in part to the economic repercussions of COVID-related restrictions," the report said.
Initially, the lockdowns that rolled out across the world from 2020 may have reduced the number of murders, as potential killers largely stayed inside and only mixed with people in the same household, the study said.
Killings hit record high in 2021 as post-lockdown stress grew : UN
FE Team | Published: December 08, 2023 23:52:34
Killings hit record high in 2021 as post-lockdown stress grew : UN
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