The Invisible War Against Women’s Health

In recent days, two humanitarian crises have forcefully brought back to the forefront of the international agenda the issue of women’s rights and access to healthcare: Afghanistan, devastated by an earthquake, and Sudan, where armed conflict has brought the health system to collapse.

Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions even after the earthquake

On September 1, 2025, a violent earthquake struck Afghanistan, further worsening the situation of a country already devastated by poverty and conflict. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an urgent appeal to the Taliban: lift the restrictions that force female health workers to travel accompanied by a male guardian.

According to the WHO, these rules severely hinder Afghan women’s access to healthcare, particularly in the areas affected by the earthquake. “Our teams cannot reach patients without the participation of female staff,” a spokesperson for the agency declared. 

The situation is so critical that, in the following days, the United Nations also demanded an end to the ban preventing Afghan women from working as local staff within international agencies. In some cases, the Taliban even forced the UN to shut down aid centers for refugees because female personnel were not allowed to enter. 

Sudan: a collapsing health system, women most affected

While Afghanistan struggles with the earthquake’s devastation and Taliban restrictions, Sudan’s civil war has left the country without a functioning healthcare system. According to the WHO, only 14% of hospitals remain fully operational, while more than a third of facilities are completely non-functional. 

The consequences fall especially on women: UNFPA estimates that more than 1.1 million pregnant women lack access to essential maternal health services. 

The situation has been made even more dramatic by attacks on healthcare facilities: between August and early September, maternity and pediatric hospitals were targeted, endangering the lives of thousands of women and children. 

A global struggle for the right to health

In both Afghanistan and Sudan, women are double victims: of the humanitarian crisis itself and of the political, cultural, or military barriers that prevent them from accessing or providing care.

The WHO’s appeal to the Taliban, after the September 1 earthquake, is a reminder with global significance: without the active participation of women, and without respect for their fundamental rights, no healthcare system can truly function.

Translated by Gaia Ciceri

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2025