NEWS CENTER - The Purple Saturday Movement assessed the loss of over 1,400 lives in the earthquake that struck Afghanistan. The movement stated, “These losses are not only the result of a natural disaster, but also of the Taliban's deadly regime. Remaining silent is complicity in this regime's crimes.”

 

In a written statement titled “After the earthquake in Kunar: Women and children left to die under Taliban rule,” the Purple Saturday Movement emphasized that they do not view the earthquake as merely an infrastructure problem. The movement stressed that the loss of life in Kunar is a direct result of Taliban policies.

 

'The lack of female health workers was deadly'

 

The movement pointed out in its statement that the absence of female doctors in the earthquake zone exacerbated the consequences, noting: "There is no safe medical shelter in the area for injured women. Male doctors cannot treat women due to cultural restrictions imposed by the Taliban regime. The ban on women's education and employment in the health sector has made the lack of female medical professionals deadly. Women lost blood, suffered, and died simply because there was no woman who could treat them."

 

The statement highlighted that pregnant women were also deprived of prenatal care:

 

“The data collected shows that babies who could have been saved with simple medical intervention were lost before birth. They fell victim to a system that erased women from all their roles in society.”

 

‘Silence is complicity’

 

Noting that the disaster was not the result of a natural disaster, but rather that the Taliban regime's policies were driving women and children to their deaths, the statement said, “The disaster in Kunar is twofold; the earthquake destroyed homes, while Taliban policies destroyed hopes. The world must see that this is not just a humanitarian emergency, but an unforgivable crime against women and children. By purging women from every sphere of society, the Taliban has turned gender into an instrument of oppression. Every life lost in Kunar is proof of the deadly consequences of the Taliban regime. Silence is complicity. The women and children of Afghanistan cannot bear any more silence."