Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:14am on 08 Sep 2025,Monday International
The World Health Organization has urged Afghanistan's Taliban to lift restrictions on female aid workers following a devastating magnitude 6 earthquake that killed 2,200 people and injured over 3,600 in eastern Afghanistan on September 1. WHO estimates 90% of medical staff in affected areas are male, with Taliban's "no skin contact" rule preventing male rescuers from touching women victims. Dr. Mukta Sharma, WHO's deputy representative, highlighted the shortage of female healthcare workers and restrictions requiring male guardians for women's travel. The Taliban claims to respect women's rights under their Islamic law interpretation, but survivors report women being denied help during rescue operations. Female doctors are banned from training, hampering earthquake relief efforts. (PC: Reuters)
