KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 34-year-old former Afghan soldier died by suicide in eastern Logar province on Saturday, local sources reported, amid widespread poverty and a deepening humanitarian crisis across the country.
The man, identified as Owrangzeb, ended his life in logar’s Azra district on November 7, according to the sources. He had served in various military positions under Afghanistan’s former government before its collapse in August 2021.
The sources attributed his death to economic problems but provided no further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Local Taliban authorities have not commented on the incident.
Former Afghan military personnel have faced significant economic and security challenges since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. While some have fled the country over fears of retaliation, many others have remained in Afghanistan, where they struggle with unemployment, financial hardship and concerns about their safety. Hundreds have been arbitrarily arrested, detained, tortured or, in some cases, killed in recent years, according to local reports and rights groups.
The incident is the latest in a series of reported suicides across Afghanistan, particularly among young people and women facing widespread poverty, unemployment and restrictions under Taliban rule. Rights groups say suicide and self-harm cases have increased sharply in recent years, while depression and other mental health challenges are reportedly becoming more common among young people, sometimes leading to self-harm.
Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with nearly 22 million people relying on humanitarian assistance. Around 17.4 million people are projected to be grappling with acute food insecurity, including 4.7 million facing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
