KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 20-year-old man has died by suicide in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost province, local sources said, the latest reported case amid a rise in such deaths among young people in the country.
The man, identified as Azizullah, ended his life in Khost’s Tani district on Wednesday, September 23, according to the sources. The motive behind the incident remains unclear. Local Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the case.
The death comes just days after a similar incident in the province, in which a 24-year-old man died by suicide in Muton, the provincial capital, on Sunday.
It is the latest in a series of reported suicides involving young people across Afghanistan. Local sources, rights groups and activists have linked some of these cases to domestic violence, economic hardship, widespread unemployment, forced marriages and mental health difficulties.
Afghanistan has faced severe economic and humanitarian pressures since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The United Nations estimates that nearly 22 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Women and children are among the groups most vulnerable to the effects of poverty and limited access to basic services.
Young people have been particularly affected by economic hardship, widespread unemployment and Taliban restrictions on public life, which have made daily life increasingly difficult. Depression and other mental health challenges are also reported to be rising among young people, with some cases resulting in self-harm, including suicide.
An investigation by Etilaatroz and KabulNow found that at least 213 people, most of them under the age of 20, died by suicide in Afghanistan in 2023. The actual number is believed to be higher. Many cases go unreported because of social stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, as well as difficulties in documenting incidents across the country.
