Afghanistan: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Taliban authorities to lift restrictions preventing Afghan female aid workers from travelling without male guardians, as women struggle to access medical care following a devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.
Dr. Mukta Sharma, deputy representative of WHO’s Afghanistan office, stated that, “a very big issue now is the increasing paucity of female staff in these places.” Dr. Sharma estimated that roughly 90 percent of medical personnel in the affected regions were male, with the remaining 10 percent mostly midwives and nurses, rather than doctors capable of treating severe injuries.
The shortage is hampering care as many women are reluctant or unable to interact with male staff or travel alone for treatment. The magnitude 6 earthquake on September 1, along with its aftershocks, injured more than 3,600 people, killed at least 2,200, and left thousands homeless in a country already grappling with severe aid cuts and multiple humanitarian crises since the Taliban takeover in 2021.
The Taliban has previously stated it respects women’s rights under its interpretation of Islamic law and pledged to ensure women can receive aid. However, in 2022, the administration ordered Afghan female NGO staff to stop working outside the home. While exemptions exist in health and education sectors, officials say they are inconsistent and insufficient for an emergency that requires female staff to travel.
Sharma remarked that, “The restrictions are huge, the mahram (male guardian) requirements continue, and no formal exemption has been provided by the de facto authorities.” She stressed the urgent need to bring more female health workers into affected areas, particularly to provide mental health care to women who have lost family members or experienced trauma.
Local residents report severe challenges. Peer Gul from Somai district in Kunar province, one of the hardest-hit areas, noted that, “There is no female doctor for examinations; only one male doctor is available.” Many women in his village are suffering from trauma and high blood pressure, but face barriers to accessing care.
The shortage of female doctors in Afghanistan is worsening, as Taliban restrictions on female students in high school and university limit the pipeline of future medical professionals. The UN estimates that around 11,600 pregnant women were affected by the earthquake in a country with some of Asia’s highest maternal mortality rates.
Funding cuts, including reductions by the US this year, have further weakened the health system. Sharma reported that 80 health facilities in the affected areas had already closed due to aid cuts, with another 16 posts shuttered following earthquake damage.
The WHO continues to advocate for exemptions to ensure female health workers can reach communities in urgent need, emphasizing that access to women’s medical care is critical in the ongoing humanitarian response.
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