One of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes in history struck the country’s eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar on Sunday with a magnitude of 6 at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). More than 1,400 people have died according to the Taliban, with at least 3,124 others injured and over 5,400 houses destroyed.
Women are notably absent from the majority of photos and videos from the earthquake zone released by news agencies and aid organizations. Women are not even seen among the injured people who have been hospitalized.
The Taliban has oppressed women with various restrictions, including the requirement to hide their faces and bodies and making it difficult for them to move around or travel without a male guardian. Volunteer female doctors were also prevented from helping in the immediate aftermath of the quake.
The medical centers in Kunar and Nangarhar face a severe shortage of female doctors, complicating the treatment of injured women. The lack of female doctors has already led to the deaths of several injured pregnant women.
The earthquake has further worsened an already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, with 64% of the population living in poverty and 50% dependent on humanitarian aid for survival. The EU announced that it would provide €1 million and 130 tons of aid materials to Afghanistan for relief operations.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/after-afghanistan-s-deadly-earthquake-many-injured-women-and-girls-are-left-without-help-because-of-taliban-restrictions/a-73867403?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
