KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 14-year-old girl ended her life by hanging herself at her home in Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province on Monday, August 5, local sources said.
Speaking with KabulNow today, the source identified the teenage girl as Nargis, who took her own life in the Almar district.
The reason for the incident remains unclear, and local Taliban authorities have not yet provided any comment.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the suicide rate has been rising across Afghanistan, particularly among women and girls. This increase is attributed to the Taliban’s severe restrictions, a worsening humanitarian crisis, acute hunger, and high unemployment rates.
Life has become extremely difficult for many vulnerable individuals, especially women and girls, who have been deprived of basic human rights, including the right to work, study, and participate in public life.
Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan remains one of the most depressed countries in the world, with the highest rates of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, particularly among women and girls. A 2022 study by the US-based organization Gallup found that 98% of Afghanistan’s population suffers from psychological distress.
“Surveys conducted in July and August — coinciding with the first anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover — showed almost all Afghans (98%) rated their life so poorly that they were considered suffering. This percentage topped the previous high of 94% in 2021, measured as the Taliban seized full control,” the report said.
In a report last year, Etilaatroz newspaper revealed that at least 213 individuals across 28 provinces of Afghanistan took their own lives over the course of a year for various reasons. The report indicated that nearly 80% of those who committed suicide were under the age of 20.
