KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources reported that a 19-year-old girl took her own life by hanging herself in Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province on Sunday, August 11.
Speaking with KabulNow, the sources identified the young girl as Soraya, who committed suicide in Qaramqol district on Sunday evening.
The motive behind the incident remains unclear, and her family has not yet commented.
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.
Last week, a 14-year-old girl named Nargis took her own life by hanging herself at her home in Faryab province. The motive for the incident remains unknown.
Two days ago, an 18-year-old boy took his own life by hanging himself in a supermarket in Dasht-e-Barchi, a Hazara-populated neighborhood of Kabul, due to financial and mental health issues.
A 2022 study by the US-based organization Gallup found that 98% of Afghanistan’s population experiences 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 a year for various reasons. The report indicated that nearly 80% of those who committed suicide were under the age of 20.
