There is a lack of accurate statistics in Afghanistan, with the exception of the number of provinces and districts. There is no reliable information regarding the population, per capita income, or domestic production, all of which are estimated. However, the compilation of certain events reported by the media over a certain period of time can provide relative statistics and demonstrate whether the situation is deteriorating or improving. For example, Hasht–e Subh Daily reported 25 suicide cases across the country in the past month (from April 27 to May 29), indicating that almost one individual commits suicide daily in Afghanistan. This statistic is likely to be an underestimate, due to the Taliban‘s censorship and the difficulty of accessing information throughout the country, as well as the denial of suicide cases by the victims‘ families due to prevailing social traditions.
According to this report, the majority of suicide victims were adolescents. What causes people of this age to commit suicide? What drives them to the point of taking their own life? According to media findings, poverty, strict Taliban regulations, mental health issues, and domestic violence are the primary causes of most suicide cases. However, it appears that the cause of so many suicides among young people, whatever it may be, is linked to a sense of hopelessness about the future. Poverty is a rampant issue in the country, but if there is any chance of improving the economic situation, fewer people will have suicidal thoughts.
The chaotic political situation, the lack of a legitimate and law–abiding government, extortion, and the collection of money under various names by the Taliban have exacerbated the severity of poverty in Afghanistan. This phenomenon has become increasingly drastic with the further intensification of poverty, particularly when there is no hope of alleviating it. The Taliban‘s collection of aid money from people‘s residences is a major factor in the exacerbation of poverty, and if there is no way to end the rule of the Taliban or to encourage them to embrace legalism and democracy, hope will not be restored to the society and the young people will continue to suffer.
Some of the suicides are particularly harrowing and poignant. According to the Hasht–e Subh Daily report, a man named Zmar committed suicide on Monday night, May 22, 2023, in the Qala–e– Heshmat Khan neighborhood of Kabul. He had gone to the market to borrow some food to bring home, but no one had given him a loan. Had the shopkeepers thought that Zmar could repay the debt in a few days, they likely would have lent him some food, but they must have concluded that, given the current sluggish business market, he might not have been able to afford to pay the loan in the near future.
Those who have taken control of the national treasury today receive packages of millions of dollars and take money from people for various reasons, without being disturbed by the soaring poverty or caring about anyone‘s life. They are the masters of taking people‘s lives. Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect them to combat poverty and restore hope in society. On the other hand, their continued domination over the country will only worsen the situation, and poverty will drastically increase, as has been seen in the last two years. When the senior managers of the Taliban attribute the issue of poverty to God and absolve themselves of responsibility, people cannot hope for their management and, consequently, the improvement of economic conditions.
Hope should be the primary tool used to combat the rise in suicide rates. It should be generated outside of the Taliban structure and then spread throughout society. The unification of pro–democracy and law–abiding forces both inside and outside the country can create a sense of hope – the hope of having a government and military that is legitimized by the people, is accountable to the people, and is primarily focused on resolving the people‘s issues.
It has been almost two years since any meaningful action has been taken to resolve the stalemate. The longer the division in the anti–Taliban party persists, the more bloodshed due to poverty will occur. The Taliban‘s tactics of taking taxes from the people, collecting tithes, extorting money, and forcibly collecting donations from the residents will not be sustainable without providing any services in return or respecting the basic rights of the people. However, this change will not come about automatically. People will eventually rise up against this situation and reclaim their rights, including a legitimate government, elections, education, work, and their freedoms. The timing of this depends on the people‘s tolerance threshold for how long they can endure these difficult times. It appears that people will act too late and if hope is not restored to society before people take action to change the situation, the disaster of poverty will take many lives. Therefore, before the political situation of the country changes, we must do all we can to bring hope of change and improvement back to society.
All segments of society are responsible for the social state of the country. At present, those who are attempting to keep hope alive in society are constructing an online university, providing online education in language and scientific subjects, and building small water dams, libraries, and hospitals with the help of people. They are demonstrating in protests on the streets or in enclosed spaces. Let us join and support the women who, in defiance of the Taliban, are still making bread for their families, the girls who are still reading and painting on the walls of their homes, and anyone who is planning for the future in some way. “Rebuilding” is a form of protest against destructive forces. Constructing coherently and planning for the future allows us to combat the adversaries of construction and hope. In this manner, hope will remain unbroken in society and the excessive rise in suicide incidents will be prevented.