Exclusive report based on verified local and international sources | September 4, 2025 (13 Sunbula 1404)
1. Executive Summary
Four days after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Nurgal district of Kunar province at a depth of 8 km, the death toll has risen to over 2,200 people, with more than 4,000 injured. More than 8,000 homes were either completely destroyed or severely damaged (up to 98%). The disaster, followed by 17 aftershocks — including a 5.2 magnitude tremor — affected Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, and parts of Laghman. Landslides blocked major roads, destroyed six small bridges, and left air transport as the only viable access route.
Women and girls are the hardest hit: the lack of female doctors, Taliban restrictions on women’s education and employment, and fear of mixed-gender shelters have left many injured women untreated or avoiding medical care altogether. The UN has warned that without a gender-focused emergency response, mortality rates will rise sharply.
2. Geology and Scale of Destruction
• Epicenter: Nurgal District, Kunar Province
• Magnitude: 6.0 (USGS)
• Depth: 8 km – shallow earthquake with high surface damage
• Aftershocks: 17 in total; 4 above 4.5 magnitude
• Affected areas: Nurgal, Watapur, Sarkano, Chawkay, Ghaziabad (Kunar) + parts of Nangarhar and Nuristan
• Casualty figures (as of report time):
o Deaths: 2,205 (Taliban figures)
o Injured: 4,000+
o Houses destroyed: 8,000 units
• Infrastructure damage: 6 bridges collapsed; 12 km of Asadabad–Jalalabad highway blocked
Sources: OCHA Situation Report – Afghanistan, Sept 3, 2025 | WHO Initial Needs Assessment
3. Gendered Health Impacts
3.1 Shortage of Female Health Workers
• Entire Kunar province has fewer than 3 active female doctors; the provincial hospital lacks an OB-GYN specialist.
• In the first 48 hours, at least 6 pregnant women died due to lack of emergency C-sections and blood transfusions (sources: Afghan Midwives Association, CARE).
• Taliban’s ban on midwifery and nursing education for women has severely worsened the shortage.
3.2 Field Testimonies
“My husband, two sons, and brother were buried under the wall. When I reached the hospital, there was no midwife, no female doctor. They wouldn’t even remove my hijab for stitches.”
Sola, 32, Mazar Dara village (Radio Azadi, Sept 1, 2025)
4. Aid Challenges and Access Barriers
• Road access: Landslides completely blocked the Nurgal–Asadabad road; helicopter missions are the only option.
• Medical supplies: Provincial hospitals have stocks for less than one week (WHO).
• International response so far:
o UN released $5 million in emergency funds
o MSF and Red Crescent deployed mobile health teams to Asadabad
o WFP distributed emergency food packages for 20,000 families
• Gaps: OCHA reports only 28% of the identified needs are covered.
5. Urgent Gender-Specific Priorities
1. Deploy female medical teams (including OB-GYNs, midwives, and psychosocial counselors).
2. Establish women-only mobile health clinics with 24/7 access and emergency C-section capability.
3. Distribute reproductive health kits (gloves, sanitary pads, antibiotics) for 5,000 households.
4. Allocate 5% of cash assistance for maternal and newborn nutrition programs (WFP).
5. Ensure women’s participation in provincial crisis coordination councils in line with UN standards.
Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, emphasized:
“Excluding women from relief efforts will deepen the humanitarian crisis.”
6. Conclusions and Recommendations
The Kunar earthquake is not only a natural disaster but also a reflection of structural gender-based discrimination in Afghanistan. Taliban’s ban on women’s education and employment has turned a health crisis into a human catastrophe. Without immediate action to deploy female health professionals and remove gender barriers, maternal and newborn deaths will surpass earthquake fatalities.
Key Recommendations:
• Activate MISP (Minimum Initial Service Package) for reproductive health through UN OCHA and partners.
• UNFPA and WHO must urgently deploy female health workers.
• Independent monitoring of women’s rights in relief efforts must be enforced.
• Gender-Age Marker reporting should be mandatory in all humanitarian programming.
