KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Sources in Faryab and Helmand have reported two recent suicides in these provinces amid a surge in suicide rate across the country.
In Faryab, a 35-year-old man named Masoom took his own life on Friday morning (February 9) in his home in the village of Ghora Qaisar, using a hunting rifle. The motive remains unclear.
In Helmand, sources say an 18-year-old, identified as Farid Ahmad, also died by suicide the same day in the Marjah district, using a firearm. The reason for his suicide is still unknown.
This marks the third suicide in Helmand within 48 hours. A day earlier, an elderly man in the Nowzad district ended his life by consuming opium, and the day before that, a 19-year-old in the same district hanged himself.
More than three years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan faces a deepening mental health crisis, with some of the highest rates of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts in the world. A 2023 Gallup study found that 98% of Afghans suffer from mental health issues.
Investigations by Etilaat Roz and KabulNow revealed that at least 213 men and women died by suicide in Afghanistan in 2023, with nearly 80% of cases involving individuals under the age of 20.
The actual figures are likely higher, as many cases go unreported due to Taliban media restrictions and the stigma surrounding mental health.
