Women and girls continue to bear the brunt of the Afghanistan earthquake – one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history. While the major aftershocks may have passed, women in affected areas are facing a long-term disaster without more urgent assistance. Tragically, women and girls account for over half of those killed and injured and 60 per cent of those still missing.
Now, on top of their grief and loss, survivors are facing new threats, including heightened risks of violence and exploitation, and a lack of access to support and services. As I saw when I visited a village in Kunar province last week, many families remain in tents or out in the open. Sanitation and water infrastructure has been destroyed and there are not enough latrines for women and girls in villages or informal settlements.
This means they are having to walk further to go to the bathroom, or gather water, exposing them to the risk of violence and landmines.
The increased risk of violence carries into households, as well. Too often there are spikes in gender-based violence following disasters, triggered by the intense pressure on communities through displacement, loss of livelihoods and more.
In the earthquake, one of the most impacted groups are women-headed households – we know of at least 463 of these families in affected areas. In everyday life, in this cultural context, these women already face an uphill battle every day to survive and support their families.
Now, in the disruption and chaos following the earthquake, these women will find it exponentially harder to feed their children and find a safe place to stay. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also affected.
They – and all women and girls – will need access to health services. Due to the bans on women working for NGOs and studying at university, mobility restrictions imposed by the de facto authorities, and systemic discrimination, there is a serious shortage of women health workers across Afghanistan.
Having women in humanitarian roles is especially vital, to ensure women and girls can safely access the support they need – which must be delivered by women, for women. There is no other option to provide principled assistance.
Without women aid workers, we simply will not be able to meet the needs of women and girls in the weeks and months ahead. While it’s still warm in the earthquake-affected areas, winter is fast approaching.
Living conditions and humanitarian access will become even more difficult, which is why UN Women is appealing for US $2.5 million to expand a 6 to 12 month emergency response and recovery plan.