RASC News Agency: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a report highlighting the severe risks and vulnerabilities faced by pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in Afghanistan. The organization expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation, warning of its far-reaching consequences for maternal health. According to the report, these risks stem directly from the “ongoing crisis gripping the country.” Following the Taliban’s resurgence, Afghanistan has plunged into widespread poverty and unemployment, severely impacting the lives of its citizens. The persistent economic and social decline continues to exacerbate the challenges faced by millions.
UNFPA, in partnership with the U.S. Migration Agency, announced that from January to October 2023, it had delivered critical healthcare services to over 3.5 million women across Afghanistan. However, despite these efforts, the agency underlined that the overall state of women’s health remains precarious, with countless women still reliant on humanitarian aid and support from relief organizations. In previous reports, the United Nations warned that the Taliban’s ban on education and employment for women and girls is likely to fuel an alarming rise in child marriages and forced unions, alongside increasing rates of maternal and infant mortality.
The World Health Organization (WHO) further noted that restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s participation in aid organizations, particularly in healthcare, have severely limited women’s access to essential medical services. Global human rights organizations have consistently condemned the Taliban’s escalating restrictions on women, as well as the worsening poverty and economic deprivation in the country. These organizations have called for immediate and coordinated international intervention to address these pressing issues.
Despite global outcry, the Taliban continue to tighten their grip, imposing harsher restrictions on women while poverty and unemployment reach unprecedented levels, leaving millions in an increasingly dire and vulnerable state.
