The earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August, followed by several aftershocks, has left an estimated 11,600 pregnant women in urgent need of assistance. Within hours of the disaster, UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, deployed emergency response and mobile health teams to assess needs and provide lifesaving healthcare and protection services to women and girls in the affected regions.
Despite significant challenges in reaching remote communities due to damaged and often impassable roads, UNFPA has mobilized four mobile health teams equipped with emergency supplies and ambulances to deliver maternal and reproductive healthcare across Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, and Nuristan provinces. The agency has also delivered reproductive health supplies to ensure thousands of safe births in hospitals and health centres, while distributing essential hygiene kits that include menstrual health items, soap, and disinfectants.
Afghanistan already faces one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Asia Pacific region, making the crisis particularly devastating for pregnant women. “For pregnant women, a natural disaster can turn an already challenging time into a life-threatening crisis,” said UNFPA Representative Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, stressing the urgent need for continued support to safeguard maternal and newborn health.
In addition to its emergency response, UNFPA continues to support 20 health clinics, family health centres, and psychosocial support centres in the affected provinces, ensuring that women and girls can access critical care and services during this humanitarian emergency.
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