GENEVA — Women and girls who survived the devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, 2025, are facing a “long-term disaster” due to exacerbated cultural barriers and the Taliban leadership’s ban on Afghan women staff members working for the UN and aid contractors.
Susan Ferguson, UN Women Special Representative in Afghanistan, stated on September 19, 2025, that while major aftershocks have passed, the lack of urgent assistance places women at risk. Tragically, women and girls accounted for over half of those killed or injured, and 60 per cent of those still missing.
The humanitarian response has been significantly hindered since the Taliban ban became effective on September 5. While women staff are still operating in affected sites, the ban has impacted the overall ability of aid agencies to deliver comprehensive assistance. In this cultural context, culturally accepted practices mean that women cannot speak to men about their needs, and in some areas, do not want men to touch them, even during rescue. One woman rescuer supported by UN Women noted that their teams were the “only channel for women to share their needs and concerns.”
The consequences of the disaster are heightened for women. The destruction of basic infrastructure, including sanitation facilities, forces women and girls to walk further to find a bathroom or gather water, exposing them to the risk of violence and landmines. Furthermore, survivors have lost relatives, homes, and their source of income, with one woman noting, “now we have nothing.” The lack of female medical staff, compounded by restrictions, means many injured women face a greater risk because men are culturally forbidden from assisting them.
The UN is urgently appealing for funding, with UN Women seeking $2.5 million to expand a six-to-twelve-month emergency response and recovery plan that focuses on scaling up women’s participation in aid delivery and increasing their access to services.