Male Rescuers Prioritize Men After Afghan Quake
A Taliban member is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi)
Following a devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, strict Taliban-enforced gender rules have prevented many women and teenage girls from receiving timely aid, according to The New York Times. Male rescue teams prioritized men and young children, leaving injured women waiting—often in vain—for female rescuers who rarely arrived.
In Kunar province, a 19-year-old survivor said she and other women were ignored while wounded men and boys were treated immediately. A male volunteer confirmed that, under Taliban customs, women trapped in rubble could only be helped by other women. If no male guardian was present, even the deceased were handled minimally—moved only by their clothing to avoid physical contact.
One local told the BBC he saw two women pulled from the wreckage, but he has no photos—Taliban policies prohibit photographing women. Journalists are also barred from interviewing women affected by the disaster.
Cultural and legal restrictions prevent unrelated men from assisting women, and families often resist outside help for female relatives. A women’s rights advocate told Deutsche Welle that male family members typically “don’t want strangers” assisting women.
The United Nations and aid organizations have raised alarms, warning that Afghan women and girls are once again being disproportionately affected. The crisis has highlighted the severe shortage of female medical staff—caused by Taliban bans on women’s education and employment. Aid groups say female workers face harassment, threats, and limited access, while girls are still banned from schooling beyond sixth grade.
Though Taliban officials claim some women are working in hospitals in the quake-hit areas, journalists and locals reported seeing few, if any, female staff in clinics or aid convoys. For many women, help never came.
“Being a woman here means we are always the last to be seen,” the young survivor said after days without assistance.
Meanwhile, the Taliban is appealing to the international community for help in responding to the disaster.
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