Taliban’s 'No Skin Contact' Rule Leaves Afghan Women Trapped, Ignored In Earthquake Rubble

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 23:02 IST

Rescue teams quickly pulled out injured men and children, but women and adolescent girls were often left behind, some bleeding and unattended

An Afghan women and children sit in a makeshift camp in the aftermath of an earthquake, in the Nurgal district of Kunar Province. (AFP photo)

Afghan women affected by last week’s devastating earthquake say they were left trapped and ignored by rescue teams because of strict Taliban rules banning physical contact between unrelated men and women.

“They gathered us in one corner and forgot about us," said 19-year-old Bibi Aysha, whose village in Kunar province was one of the hardest hit, told The New York Times.

The earthquake, which struck eastern Afghanistan’s mountainous region on Sunday night, killed more than 2,200 people and injured over 3,600. It reduced entire villages to rubble, leaving many survivors trapped under collapsed homes. However, cultural and religious restrictions imposed by the Taliban have made rescue efforts especially difficult for women.

Under Taliban rules, only a woman’s close male relatives—such as her father, brother, husband, or son—are permitted to touch her. Men outside her family are forbidden from making physical contact, which means male rescuers hesitate to carry out rescues involving women.

In many cases, women trapped under debris remain unreached, while the bodies of women who died are often dragged out by their clothes to avoid skin contact, the publication reported.

Tahzeebullah Muhazeb, a male volunteer in the same region, said the all-male medical teams seemed unable to provide proper care for women survivors. “It felt like women were invisible… the men and children were treated first, but the women were sitting apart, waiting for care," he told NYT.

Rescue teams quickly pulled out injured men and children, but women and adolescent girls were often left behind, some bleeding and unattended.

The 6.0 magnitude quake hit remote provinces including Kunar, where many live in steep river valleys surrounded by high mountains, complicating rescue efforts.

Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed that search and rescue work continues despite difficult terrain and funding shortages. “Tents have been set up for people, and the delivery of first aid and emergency supplies is ongoing," he said.

Afghanistan is facing multiple ongoing crises, including poverty, drought, and a growing number of displaced people returning from neighbouring countries since the Taliban took power in 2021. This earthquake is the third major natural disaster to strike the country since the Taliban’s return, further straining its fragile infrastructure and resources.

(With inputs from agencies)

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