KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 33-year-old man has died by suicide in southern Kandahar, local sources confirmed, marking another grim case amid a reported rise in mental health crisis across Afghanistan.
The man, identified as Abdullah, ended his life on Monday morning in the Shorandam area of District 5 in Kandahar city, according to sources familiar with the incident.
Abdullah reportedly took his life due to “economic difficulties.” He had been employed at a raisin processing company, earning a monthly wage of 18,000 Pakistani rupees.
Originally from the Pul Siman area in District 12 of Kandahar, he leaves behind three sons and one daughter.
Local Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
Just two days earlier, on Saturday, a 24-year-old man also died by suicide in Kandahar, reportedly due to “economic hardship” and “unemployment.”
These incidents reflect a wider crisis gripping the country.
Nearly four years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan is facing an escalating mental health emergency. A 2023 Gallup survey revealed that 98 percent of Afghans reported experiencing psychological distress.
Experts cite widespread poverty, joblessness, and untreated mental health conditions as major contributing factors. While Afghan men often grapple with unemployment and addiction, women and girls face additional trauma from forced marriages, domestic violence, and severe restrictions on their rights.
Sweeping bans on education, employment, and freedom of movement for women, along with the dismantling of legal protections against domestic abuse, have deepened the mental health crisis. Many Afghans, especially women, now lack access to both justice and psychological support.
