The United Nations has confirmed that about 90% of the victims of the October 7 earthquake in Afghanistan were women and children. The Taliban regime mainly denies access to care for women and children, the BBC reports.
According to BBC reports based on interviews with doctors, witnesses and activists, the Taliban’s strict restrictions on treating women are seen as a major cause of the high number of female victims.
Salma, a doctor from Herat, went to the hardest-hit areas to provide first aid to injured women and to investigate the reasons behind the uneven number of casualties. “I visited a village where Taliban members lived. Some men didn’t want to touch women who were injured or dead,” she told the BBC. “Taxi drivers were penalized for transporting women who did not wear a burqa, and in some cases women were forced to walk to hospitals.”
She also highlighted the lack of medical attention for pregnant women, who lost their babies and in some cases gave birth in public without access to clean clothes or sanitary facilities.
The Taliban has responded to these allegations by stating that the earthquake occurred while men were at work and women were at home. They emphasized that Afghan society has historically limited women’s labor force participation.
International aid
Aid delivery is complicated by the Taliban regime, which currently controls Afghanistan. Aid agencies warn of a growing humanitarian crisis, adding to the already existing problems of war and economic instability.
Women and girls suffer from the restrictions imposed by the Taliban. Their basic rights, such as education and work, are completely taken away. The aftermath of the earthquakes leaves women and girls in an even more vulnerable position. International aid organizations emphasize the urgent need for support and call on countries not to lose sight of Afghanistan.
LOOK. Images show the devastation after the earthquake in Afghanistan
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