Three people have died of suicide in separate incidents in the provinces of Parwan, Faryab, and Paktika in the recent week.
In eastern Parwan, a 16-year-old boy suicided in the Seyagard district on Saturday.
The body of the deceased was taken to a public hospital and an investigation is underway, said Kamran Zaied, Taliban’s security spokesperson in the province.
He added that the primary investigation suggested that the teenager was “suffering from a mental illness”.
In northern Faryab, a woman, identified as 40-year-old Bibi Hajira, took her life in the Gurziwan district on Friday. Her husband alleged that Hajira was “suffering from a mental health condition” while the woman’s family suspected “domestic violence” as one of the triggers.
In eastern Paktika, a teenage boy took his life in the Jani Khel district. The motive behind this suicide is unclear, but sources claimed “family violence” could be one reason.
Taliban officials have not commented on these recent suicide cases.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the suicide rate is on the rise across Afghanistan amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, acute hunger, and a high rate of unemployment. Life has become extremely difficult for many vulnerable people, particularly women and girls who have been deprived of basic human rights.
The reasons behind suicide are complex and involve multiple factors, including poverty, unemployment, mental health problems, domestic violence, addiction, and many other social pressures. The absence of a robust national prevention plan to provide urgent assistance to those at risk and promote public awareness of suicide prevention further contributes to the surge.
If you’ve been affected by these issues or show warning signs, you should immediately seek help from a medical or mental health expert.
