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WHO urges IEA to lift female aid worker restrictions after deadly quake

The 6.0-magnitude quake on September 1 killed more than 2,200 people, injured over 3,600, and left thousands homeless in eastern Afghanistan.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities to ease restrictions on female aid workers, saying their presence is vital in delivering medical assistance to women affected by last week’s powerful earthquake.

The 6.0-magnitude quake on September 1 killed more than 2,200 people, injured over 3,600, and left thousands homeless in eastern Afghanistan.

With most medical staff in the area being men, WHO officials warn that Afghan women are struggling to access care due to cultural barriers and rules requiring a male guardian for travel.

“A very big issue now is the increasing paucity of female staff in these places,” Dr. Mukta Sharma, deputy representative of WHO in Afghanistan, told Reuters. She said roughly 90% of available health workers in the area were men, while the remaining 10% were mostly midwives and nurses rather than doctors equipped to treat serious injuries.

Restrictions on women’s work have compounded the problem. In 2022, the Islamic Emirate barred Afghan women from working for NGOs, though limited exemptions were granted in health and education. Humanitarian groups say those exemptions are inconsistent, leaving aid agencies uncertain and often unable to deploy female staff when emergencies strike.

“The restrictions are huge, the mahram (male guardian) issue continues and no formal exemption has been provided by the de facto authorities,” Sharma said. “This is the time you really need to have more female health workers present, let us bring them in.”

Community members say the absence of female doctors has already worsened the crisis. “There is no female doctor for examinations; only one male doctor is available,” said Peer Gul, a resident of Kunar’s Somai district, one of the hardest-hit areas.

WHO also warned that the situation threatens women’s long-term access to mental health care, particularly for those who lost male relatives in the quake and now face restrictions without a guardian. The shortage of female doctors is expected to deepen, with women currently barred from secondary school and university education.

The United Nations estimates that around 11,600 pregnant women were impacted by the quake. Afghanistan already suffers one of Asia’s highest maternal mortality rates, while recent cuts in foreign aid have forced the closure of dozens of health facilities in quake-affected provinces.

The Afghan health ministry and IEA spokespersons have not yet commented. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said it respects women’s rights under its interpretation of Islamic law and has pledged that women will continue to receive aid.

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India reaffirms healthcare support to Afghanistan, hands over medicines and vaccines

Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.

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India has reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, with a focus on the long-term supply of essential medicines.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held a productive meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the health sector and addressing the medical needs of the Afghan people.

During the meeting, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India’s ongoing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system. The ministry also announced that a larger consignment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is being dispatched to Afghanistan as part of India’s humanitarian assistance efforts.

Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.

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Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals

Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals

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Security sources said that special forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have targeted a hideout in Badakhshan province linked to suspects involved in attacks against Chinese nationals in neighboring Tajikistan.

According to the sources, the operation was carried out on Tuesday night in Faizabad city, where several individuals suspected of orchestrating cross-border attacks from Badakhshan’s frontier regions were believed to be present. As a result of the operation, one wanted suspect was arrested alive along with weapons and other military equipment.

The sources added that preliminary investigations and initial confessions by the detainee indicate the planning of the attacks was carried out from outside Afghanistan.

This comes as Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on November 27 that three Chinese citizens were killed in an attack in Khatlon province.

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Baradar urges scholars to promote protection of Islamic system and national interests

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Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has called on religious scholars to play a stronger role in promoting the protection of the Islamic system and Afghanistan’s national interests among the public.

Speaking at a turban-tying ceremony at Jamia Fath al-Uloom in Kabul on Wednesday, Baradar urged scholars to adopt a softer tone in their sermons and public addresses.

He said that alongside teaching religious obligations, scholars should help foster a sense of responsibility toward safeguarding the Islamic system and national unity.

Baradar described madrasas as the sacred foundations of religious learning, moral education, spiritual and intellectual development, and Islamic movements within Muslim societies.

He noted that in Afghanistan, religious teachings and the concept of sacred jihad originated in madrasas, spread from villages to cities, and eventually translated into action and resistance.

He also emphasized the role of madrasas in the intellectual reform of society, the removal of what he described as un-Islamic cultural influences, and the preservation of Islamic traditions.

Baradar stressed that religious schools must remain committed to their original mission and values under all circumstances.

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