The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that increasing Taliban restrictions on women and girls are further limiting their access to vital and life-saving services.
The agency also noted that Afghanistan continues to have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.
Olga Cherevko, an OCHA official for Afghanistan, expressed deep concern in a video statement, saying that with around 600 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, Afghanistan remains among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates globally. She added that the current humanitarian crisis is affecting women and girls more than any other group.
She warned that restrictions on women’s participation in public life and employment are limiting both the humanitarian response and women’s access to life-saving services in Afghanistan. The organization has highlighted the critical role of female healthcare workers, particularly in facilities providing essential maternal and newborn care.
Referring to a hospital in Bamyan province that hosts the region’s only neonatal intensive care unit, she said at the facility, healthcare workers and aid staff, many of whom are women, are doing everything they can to save the lives of mothers and newborns. The continuity of these services is critical to preserving lives.
OCHA has previously stressed that investment in the education and recruitment of female health workers, as well as strengthening primary healthcare services, is essential to reducing maternal mortality.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on women’s social and professional activities.
UNICEF also warned that if Taliban restrictions continue, Afghanistan could face a shortage of 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030.
These restrictions have not only reduced the number of women working in healthcare but have also created serious obstacles for female patients seeking access to essential medical services.
