A study by a global humanitarian aid organization says three out of every five widows in Iraq lost their husbands in the years of violence that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

The study released Sunday by Los Angeles-based Relief International concluded that about 10 percent of the estimated 15 million women who live in Iraq are widows.

It said 59 percent of the widows lost their husbands since 2003, citing violence and killings that followed the invasion as one of the reasons behind the deaths.

Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi told a meeting in Baghdad that the widows' plight could harm society if they are not helped.

Lawmakers and activists urged the Iraqi government to offer more aid to the widows but did not offer concrete plans.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/21600.aspx