KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Three people, including a teenage boy, have committed suicide across Afghanistan in recent days amid a surge in the suicide rate.
Local sources in northeastern Badakhshan province reported earlier today that a 12-year-old boy took his own life by hanging himself at home.
The source identified the teenage boy as Hashmatullah, a resident of Shighnan district, who ended his life on Tuesday, August 27.
The motive behind the incident remains unknown, as neither his family nor the local Taliban authorities have commented yet.
Yesterday, local sources in eastern Nangarhar province reported that a young man committed suicide in the province by shooting himself with a gun.
The source identified the victim as Rohid, who ended his life in Jalalabad, the capital city. The motive behind this incident also remains unknown.
Meanwhile, local Taliban authorities reported another suicide incident in central Samangan province, where a 40-year-old man took his own life by hanging himself from a tree.
The spokesperson for the Taliban security command in Samangan, Hashmatullah Rahmani, identified the man as Zabihullah, who took his own life in Aybak, the capital city, on Tuesday, August 27.
The Taliban authorities attributed the man’s suicide to “psychological problems.”
Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become one of the most depressed countries in the world, with the highest rates of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts among its population. Last year, a study conducted by the US-based organization Gallup found that 98% of Afghanistan’s population suffers from psychological distress.
The suicide rate has been rising across Afghanistan in recent years, particularly among young women and girls, who feel hopeless about their future due to severe restrictions, the humanitarian crisis, and high unemployment rates.
Investigative data from Etilaatroz and KabulNow revealed that in the past year alone, a staggering 213 men and women committed suicide across Afghanistan, with nearly 80% of them under the age of 20.
The actual number could be much higher, as many cases remain unreported due to the Taliban’s strict media restrictions and the reluctance of most families to report such incidents.
