Afghanistan Peace CampaignIn recent days, reports have emerged of two young people committing suicide in the provinces of Nangarhar and Kandahar.
Drug addiction, domestic violence, and unemployment are cited as the primary causes of such incidents.
One of the victims, Abdul Haq, a resident of Chaparhar district in Nangarhar, hanged himself at home a few days ago, leaving behind two orphaned children.
Family members say he suffered from mental illness in addition to drug addiction and had been hospitalized multiple times.
Abdul Haq’s father, Noorurrahman, said: “He was addicted to drugs. When I realized it, he had already left home twice, but I brought him back. I brought him back a third time as well and took him to the hospital where he received treatment. However, after returning home, he left again.”
His brother, Samiullah, said: “Two days had passed since he hanged himself before the neighbors informed us. We went and brought back his body, arranged for his shroud, coffin, and burial.”
According to official statistics, on the 17th of Jawza (solar calendar), a young man named Abdullah Abid in Uruzgan, and on the 7th of Saratan, a young man named Fida Mohammad in Kandahar, committed suicide due to economic and mental pressures.
On the same date in Jawza, in Barmal district of Paktika province, a young man named Allah Noor and his fiancée also committed suicide because they couldn’t afford the dowry.
Some religious scholars consider suicide a forbidden act in Islam, while medical experts highlight psychological treatment as a key method in preventing suicidal behavior.
Abdulrahman, a religious scholar in Nangarhar, said: “The Prophet’s sayings clearly prohibit suicide. Anyone who commits suicide is held accountable in this world and in the hereafter.”
Dr. Amir Pamir, a physician in Nangarhar, said: “Mental illness and sudden psychological pressures lead many young people to take their own lives. The best way to prevent this is to raise awareness among youth and teach them resilience in the face of challenges.”
According to official figures, in 2024, 72 suicide cases have been recorded in Khost province alone.