Taliban leaves Afghan women 'to die under the rubble' following huge earthquakes, as strict Muslim "religious" code means men can't touch them
The first major quake struck just after midnight on Monday at a depth of only six miles, killing more than 2,200 people, levelling villages and trapping people under rubble.
At least five provinces were impacted by the earthquake, felt hardest in the Kunar and Nangarhar regions - among the most remote and impoverished in the country, Human Appeal said.
On Tuesday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 hit Afghanistan, temporarily halting rescue efforts. This was then followed by a third 5.6 quake on Thursday night.
Two powerful aftershocks struck the eastern region of Afghanistan on Friday just 12 hours apart, striking fears that there could be further death and destruction.
Women were deliberately excluded from the first quake's rescue effort due to the strict Muslim "religious" code, meaning that men were unable to touch them.
Taliban-enforced Islamic cultural norms have barred female rescuers, while male rescuers have been prevented from touching the women.
These Muslim rules will lead to a disproportionately higher death toll among women, while the Afghan Red Crescent Society warned on Tuesday that death tolls are set to rise.
The Taliban have left women in Afghanistan 'to die under the rubble' following three devastating earthquakes in the space of a week. Pictured: Afghan girls stand near their damaged houses in the Nurgal district on September 3
The first major quake struck just after midnight on Monday at a depth of only six miles, killing more than 2,200 people, leveling villages and trapping people under rubble. Note the shoddy construction.
At least five provinces were impacted by the earthquake, felt hardest in the Kunar and Nangarhar regions - among the most remote and impoverished in the country
A female survivor in another nearby region witnessed several women being deliberately left to die by rescue workers, telling the Telegraph: 'They pushed us aside and took men for treatment. We were left bleeding. No one offered to help.'
In the small village of Devgarh, one rescuer said that they had been told not to 'speak with the women or try to contact them because it's prohibited', adding that even touching a dead woman would 'have consequences'.
The majority of casualties have been reported in Kunar, where many live in steep river valleys separated by high mountains. 2,205 people died and 3,640 were injured, according to a Taliban government toll.
A senior journalist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the Taliban had 'not allowed women' to take part in the widespread rescue effort in Kunar.
The UN said on Tuesday that the disaster on Sunday could impact 'hundreds of thousands'.
Indrika Ratwatte, its human coordinator in the country, said: 'We think potentially the impacted individuals would go up into the hundreds of thousands.
He added: 'The numbers are definitely going to increase.'
Survivors and rescuers claimed that women were deliberately excluded from the first quake's rescue effort due to the strict Muslim "religious" code, meaning that men were unable to touch them. Pictured: An Afghan man views the aftermath of Sunday's earthquake in the Dara-i-Nur district of Nangarhar province on September 3
An anonymous female survivor in another nearby region said they witnessed women being deliberately left to die by rescue workers, telling the Telegraph: 'They pushed us aside and took men for treatment. We were left bleeding. No one offered to help'
A senior journalist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the publication the Taliban had 'not allowed women' to take part in the rescue effort in Kunar.
The rough terrain is hindering relief efforts.
Aid workers have been walking for hours to reach villages cut off by landslides and rockfall.
The UN said on Tuesday that the disaster on Sunday could impact 'hundreds of thousands'. Indrika Ratwatte, its human coordinator in the country, said: 'We think potentially the impacted individuals would go up into the hundreds of thousands. Note the helicopter, probably left behind after Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving billion$ in equipment behind for the Taliban
The Taliban seized power from Biden in 2021
A Taliban military helicopter in a damaged area of Kunar province, Afghanistan, September 2
A Taliban military helicopter at Mazar Dara village in Nurgal district, Kunar province, in Eastern Afghanistan, on September 1 2025
Some of the most vulnerable and remote areas of Afghanistan have been devastated by this earthquake, with many lives lost and homes destroyed.
Two million Afghans have recently returned from neighbouring countries
'Some of the most vulnerable and remote areas of Afghanistan have been devastated by this earthquake, with many lives lost and homes destroyed.'
Landslides triggered by the aftershocks have blocked key roads, isolating communities and overwhelming local hospitals.
The location of this earthquake is very remote and mountainous, which makes rescue efforts particularly challenging.
There have been repeated aftershocks and more are feared in the coming days. Floods and landslides over the weekend have also affected rescue efforts.
People will be displaced for a long period into the winter as homes have been destroyed.
Taliban fighters have been deployed to secure the area. There has recently been mass deportation of Afghans from neighbouring countries.
The location of this earthquake is very remote and mountainous, which makes rescue efforts particularly challenging
The World Health Organisation declared that the impact of 'damaged roads, ongoing aftershocks, and remote locations of many villages' could 'severely impede the delivery of aid.
They added: 'The pre-earthquake fragility of the health system means local capacity is overwhelmed, creating total dependence on external actors.'
On Tuesday, the epicentre of the sizeable quake was 21 miles northeast of Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province, according to the USGS.
Then, the country's astern region was hit again on Thursday by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported.
Experts said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10km in a region lying 20 miles outside of Jalalabad, while tremors were reportedly felt in India and Pakistan.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15071471/Taliban-left-Afghan-women-die-rubble-following-huge-earthquakes.html
A view of houses damaged by Sunday's earthquake in Kunar, Afghanistan on September 3
Sunday night's powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck several provinces, causing extensive damage
A view of damaged houses after an earthquake in the Dara-e-Noor district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, 02 September 2025
More than 1,100 people have been killed in Afghanistan 's deadliest earthquake in years, with thousands more injured and many still buried under collapsed homes
The Afghan Red Crescent Society said on Tuesday that at least 1,124 people are confirmed dead and 3,251 have been hurt, with more than 8,000 homes destroyed
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