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Afghan Quake Response Accused of Leaving Women Untreated Under Taliban Restrictions

Witnesses in Kunar describe male-only teams bypassing female survivors.

Overview

  • Officials confirm at least 2,205 dead and more than 3,000 injured, with tens of thousands of homes destroyed after the Aug. 31–Sept. 1 earthquake in northeastern Afghanistan.
  • In Andarluckak, witnesses say male responders treated men and boys but refused care for injured women and girls.
  • Villagers report that women trapped in Mazar Dara waited for female volunteers from nearby villages to free them after male teams refused direct contact.
  • UN Women warns that women and girls will bear the greatest burden, while a Taliban health spokesman points to female staff in hospitals in Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman.
  • Rescue efforts remain strained by mountainous terrain, landslides that have blocked roads, limited resources, international isolation and strong aftershocks on Sept. 2 and Sept. 4.