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Eastern Afghanistan Quake Response Sidelines Women Under Taliban Gender Rules

UN agencies say restrictive rules plus too few female staff are delaying care for women.

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Rescue workers clear debris of a damaged house after a deadly magnitude-6 earthquake that struck Afghanistan
Many women remain trapped and overlooked after the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan, as male rescuers prioritise efforts on men and children due to Taliban's strict “no skin-contact” rule. (Photo: AP)
afghanistan earthquake

Overview

  • Official figures place the death toll above 2,200 with roughly 3,600 injured after a magnitude-6 earthquake and continuing aftershocks in the east.
  • Eyewitnesses report male rescue teams prioritized men and children, leaving injured women and girls waiting for help or still under rubble.
  • Volunteers described bodies of female victims being dragged out by their clothes to avoid skin contact when no male relative was present.
  • UN Women warned that women and girls are bearing a disproportionate burden and called for their needs to guide the response and recovery.
  • The Taliban health ministry acknowledged shortages of female health workers in hard-hit areas, even as it said some women are staffing provincial hospitals amid access and funding constraints.