KABUL, AFGHANISTAN –A 17-year-old student has died by suicide in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost province, local sources reported, the latest reported case amid a rise in such deaths among young people in the country.
The victim, identified as Shahidullah, took his own life in the provincial capital. He was a 10th-grade student at a private school, the sources said.
The circumstances and motive behind the incident remain unclear.
The case is the latest in a series of reported suicides involving young people across Afghanistan. Local sources, rights groups and activists have linked most cases to domestic violence, economic hardship, unemployment, forced marriages and mental health problems.
Young people in Afghanistan face mounting economic and social pressures, including limited employment opportunities and restrictions imposed by the Taliban on public life. Mental health issues, including depression, have also been cited among factors contributing to reported cases of self-harm and 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 figure is believed to be higher, as many cases remain unreported because of social stigma surrounding suicide and mental health and difficulties documenting incidents across the country.
