The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to remove restrictions on female aid workers. The appeal came after reports said male rescuers were barred from touching women during rescue efforts following a deadly earthquake in the east of the country.
The earthquake, which struck on September 1 with a magnitude of 6, killed about 2,200 people, injured more than 3,600, and left thousands homeless. Afghanistan was already suffering from aid cuts and many humanitarian crises since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after foreign troops left.
WHO Official Urges Taliban to Permit Women Aid Workers
Dr. Mukta Sharma, deputy head of WHO’s Afghanistan office, said that women aid workers must be allowed to travel without a male guardian so they can help women who struggle to get medical care.
“One big problem now is the lack of female staff in these areas,” Sharma was quoted as saying by local media reports.
She said about 90 percent of the medical workers in the affected region are men. Only 10 percent are women, most of them midwives or nurses, not doctors who can handle serious injuries. This is making treatment difficult, as many Afghan women feel unsafe or unwilling to interact with male doctors and are unable to travel alone for help. A Taliban rule banning any physical contact between men and unrelated women has made things worse.
“The restrictions are very serious. The requirement for a male guardian continues, and no official exemption has been given,” Sharma said. She added that her team had already discussed the issue with Taliban officials last week.
Taliban Is Yet to Reveal Its Decision
“That’s why we had to push them and say—this is the moment you really need more female health workers. Allow us to bring them in, or transfer them from other places where they are available.”
Afghanistan’s health ministry has not yet responded to the matter.
The Taliban claims it respects women’s rights under its version of Islamic law. In the past, it has promised that women would still be able to receive aid.
But survivors of the earthquake say Taliban rules—especially the ban on men touching women—turned a natural disaster into an even bigger tragedy for Afghan women. With female doctors banned from training and many aid workers scared into silence, women are often left without support.
“No one offered the women help, asked what they needed, or even approached them,” said Aysha, a 19-year-old from Kunar Province, describing how she and other women were ignored during rescue work.
Also Read: Why Were Afghan Women Not Rescued From Earthquake Rubble? What Is Taliban’s ‘No Skin Contact’ Rule?
