KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 70-year-old man has died by suicide in Shinwari district, eastern Nangarhar province, local Taliban authorities said, marking yet another case in the rising number of suicides across Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Sayed Tayyeb Hammad, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Nangarhar, said the incident occurred on Saturday, November 15. He attributed the suicide to mental health issues but did not provide details on the man’s identity or the method of death.
Afghanistan has long faced widespread mental health challenges, which have intensified since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. A 2023 Gallup survey found that 98% of Afghans experience some form of psychological distress, with poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and limited access to mental health services cited as key factors.
Suicide cases have reportedly increased under Taliban rule. An Etilaatroz investigation recorded at least 213 suicides between April 2022 and April 2023, while the Taliban Ministry of Interior reported 360 cases the following year.
Rights groups say that the true number of suicides is likely higher, as many cases go unreported due to social stigma and restrictions on media coverage.
