Worrying increase in youth suicides; Two youths die in Helmand and Kandahar due to economic problems

Kabul – Kabul Times News | Sunday, May 24, 2026

Local sources in Helmand and Kandahar provinces confirm that two young Afghans committed suicide on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in two separate incidents; incidents that, according to their relatives, were rooted in severe economic pressures, unemployment and despair about the future.

According to information received by Kabul Times News, one of these youths was a resident of Helmand province and the other was from Kandahar province. Pictures of them published on social media have created a wave of sadness and concern among Afghan users.

Local sources say that both young people have been struggling with serious financial problems and lack of job opportunities in recent months. Relatives of these people have said that economic pressure, inability to meet the needs of life and a sense of impasse had led them to a difficult mental state.

A social activist in Helmand told Kabul Times News:

“When a young person has no job, no hope for the future, and no psychological support, society slowly takes its toll. The suicide of these two young people is not just a personal event; it is a wake-up call for the entire society.”

In recent years, increasing poverty, unemployment, and economic crisis in Afghanistan have had a wide-ranging impact on the mental and emotional state of citizens, especially the youth. Social experts warn that the continuation of the current situation could lead to a new wave of depression, forced migration, and suicide among the younger generation.

According to experts, the lack of support programs, limited job opportunities, and reduced social hope have left many families in a fragile situation. They emphasize that mental problems caused by poverty and unemployment are no longer an individual issue; they have become a social crisis.

At the same time, social media users have expressed sympathy for the families of the two young men, calling on relevant authorities and institutions to take serious and immediate measures to reduce poverty, create job opportunities, and provide psychological support to the youth.

Kabul Times News says it is refraining from publishing further details about the circumstances of these events to protect the families' dignity; however, local sources emphasize that the main factor behind these suicides was severe economic problems and livelihood pressures.