UNICEF: The Role of Female Doctors in Assisting Earthquake Survivors Is Vital

Photo: TajudeenOyewale/X

Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, by publishing images of female doctors in Kunar, emphasized that their presence in treating earthquake victims is vital. He wrote that these doctors are treating children, women, and men affected by the earthquake.

UNICEF also announced that in just the first 72 hours after the earthquake, more than 2,500 trauma cases had been treated by the organization’s medical teams.

This comes as local sources had earlier reported a severe shortage of female doctors in Kunar and Nangarhar. According to them, at least six pregnant women died after premature births caused by the shock of the earthquake due to the absence of female doctors, and several others lost their newborns.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center (AHRC), expressing concern, warned that women and girls should not be deprived of receiving vital aid because of Taliban restrictions and discrimination. The organization stressed that delays in delivering aid and ignoring women could put the lives of many at risk.

AHRC called on aid agencies, neighboring countries, and the international community to allocate more resources to save the lives of survivors, rebuild villages, and provide urgent needs before the arrival of winter, while at the same time continuing support for Afghan refugees.