Taliban left Afghan women 'to die under rubble' following huge earthquakes as strict religious code meant men couldn't touch them, reports claim

The Taliban have allegedly left women in Afghanistan 'to die under rubble' following three devastating earthquakes that hit the country in the space of a week.

 

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. 

 

Now, survivors and rescuers have reportedly claimed that several women were deliberately excluded from the first quake's rescue effort due to the strict religious code, meaning that men were unable to touch them. 

 

Taliban-enforced cultural norms have barred female rescuers, while male rescuers have, in some cases, even been prevented from touching the women, an anonymous survivor has reportedly told The Telegraph.

 

These arbitrary rules, community health workers fear, could 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. 

 

 

Read More Here: Daily Mail