The Afghanistan Women’s Movement in Exile, in a statement of protest, has condemned the Taliban’s decision to remove women’s photos from ID cards, calling it a “clear violation of citizenship rights” and part of the group’s “gender apartheid project.”

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has called for urgent and increased assistance to the survivors of the eastern Afghanistan earthquake, stressing that current resources are not sufficient to meet the needs.

After the mass wave of forced deportations of Afghan refugees from Iran, the streets of Herat now witness sad faces, where hunger, homelessness, and helplessness have driven them to beg; in a country that itself suffers from poverty, unemployment, and chronic economic crises.

At least six pregnant women in Kunar province have died following premature labor caused by earthquake shock, due to the lack of female doctors. Local sources say several other women also lost their newborns.