The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is termed as ‘deadly’ in the wake of two catastrophic earthquakes that the country recently experienced, according to Alison Davidian, the UN special representative for women in Afghanistan. Speaking exclusively with the Associated Press, Davidian revealed the terrible plight of women under Taliban rule, exacerbated by the severe natural disasters, here.
Between October 7 and 15, Afghanistan was shaken by multiple earthquakes, with the most severe one reaching a magnitude of 6.3. These natural disasters directly impacted approximately 43,400 individuals across six districts. Quoting UN figures, Davidian punctuated the grim reality – over 1,500 people have lost their lives, and more than 2,000 were physically hurt in these occurrences.
Adding to the tragedy, the World Health Organisation revealed that 90% of the earthquake fatalities comprised of women and children. This unsettling fact accentuates Davidian’s statement, asserting how women and girls are at a greater peril during natural disasters, and unfortunately, they are frequently overlooked during crisis response and recovery. You can read the complete statement by World Health Organization here.
Davidian also highlighted the oppressive regime of the Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, banning women from secondary schools, universities, and non-governmental organizations, limiting their freedom and opportunities further. For greater detail on the topic, you can follow these links reporting on restrictions in education and employment.
With the ongoing humanitarian crisis and women’s rights violations, combined with the aftermath of the earthquakes, it is estimated that over 114,000 people require urgent humanitarian aid. The team at Health Cluster Afghanistan has managed to assist 32,511 individuals in the most affected regions, yet an appeal for $7.9 million has been made to cover the cost of critical health services over the next half year.
More about this can be read in the original article here.