KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A young man has reportedly died by suicide in Faryab province, according to local sources. The incident occurred today, October 27, in the village of Zarshoi, Pashtun Kot district.
The man, identified as 37-year-old Ahmad Shah, was found hanged in the hayloft of his home. His wife discovered him but could not save him before neighbors arrived, by which time he had already passed.
Mental illness has been cited as the cause of his suicide. Sources report that Ahmad Shah had previously worked in Iran and returned to Faryab recently after developing mental health issues.
Local Taliban officials in Faryab have not yet commented on the case.
Since the Taliban regained control, Afghanistan has seen a rise in mental health challenges, becoming one of the world’s most depressed countries.
According to a Gallup study last year, 98% of Afghans experience psychological distress. Women and girls face heightened levels of distress as they are denied fundamental rights, including education, employment, access to parks and gyms, travel, and other freedoms.
Investigations by Etilaat Roz and KabulNow revealed that in the past year alone, 213 men and women committed suicide across Afghanistan, with nearly 80% of the cases involving those under 20 years of age. The actual numbers may be even higher, as many incidents go unreported due to Taliban media restrictions and the stigma surrounding mental health in Afghan society.
