KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in Kandahar say two young men attempted suicide in the province due to unemployment and severe economic difficulties. One of them died, while the other survived.
According to the sources, the two men attempted suicide by ingesting poison on Saturday, August 8, in the eighth district of Kandahar city. They were subsequently taken to a government hospital for treatment.
Sources said one of the men, identified as “Jan,” died while receiving medical treatment, while doctors managed to save the other.
The sources said the two young men had been unemployed for a long period and were facing severe financial difficulties.
Taliban authorities in Kandahar have not yet commented on the incident.
A similar case was reported in Kunar province last month. Local sources said on July 19 that a young man identified as Zahid had died by suicide in Manogai district. Sources said Zahid had a bachelor’s degree but remained unemployed, and that prolonged unemployment and financial hardship had contributed to his struggles.
These incidents, along with an earlier case in Faryab province where a 25-year-old man reportedly took his own life, highlight the spread of reported suicides across different provinces of Afghanistan and have intensified concerns over the impact of unemployment, economic hardship, social pressures, and limited access to mental health support on young people across the country.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian situation has deteriorated further. The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education and employment have excluded millions of women from the workforce, while shrinking job opportunities, widespread unemployment, poverty and declining humanitarian assistance have placed additional pressure on families.
These conditions have deepened economic hardship and contributed to growing financial and social pressures, particularly among young people.
Investigations by Etilaatroz and KabulNow found that at least 213 people, mostly under the age of 20, took their own lives in 2023. The true figure is believed to be higher, as many cases go unreported due to Taliban restrictions on media and the stigma surrounding mental health in Afghanistan.
