KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In a direct response to the devastating late-August earthquake, Indonesia has deployed a specialized medical team to Afghanistan’s Kunar Province to provide critical care, with a particular focus on reaching women and children who have been disproportionately affected by both the disaster and subsequent aid restrictions.
The mission, organized by the Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), was announced on Saturday, September 27. The team, consisting of two female doctors and a nurse, is equipped to address the urgent healthcare gap created by the Taliban’s ban on female Afghan aid workers, which has severely limited humanitarian access to half the population.
Bridging a Critical Gap in Care
The team has established a temporary clinic and will be operating in the region until October 9. Their mission includes providing direct medical treatment and distributing essential medicines prepared for approximately 500 people across several remote villages hardest hit by the quake.
“The earthquake in Afghanistan has had serious health and social impacts, but international humanitarian support for the people is insufficient,” said Hediki Habib, head of the MER-C mission to Afghanistan. “We saw a specific and urgent need to help those who are now hardest to reach—the women and children. Our female medical staff are crucial for ensuring they receive the care they desperately need.”
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck western Afghanistan in late August was one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history. Official figures report over 2,200 people killed, more than 3,600 injured, and entire villages flattened, leaving thousands of families homeless just weeks before the harsh winter season.
Aid Shortfall and Operational Challenges
The Indonesian team’s arrival highlights a significant shortfall in the international response. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only $23.7 million in aid has been received for the earthquake response—a fraction of the $138.7 million required, leaving a staggering gap of approximately $115 million.
Compounding the financial crisis is the operational barrier posed by the Taliban’s edict. Since December 2022, the de facto authorities have banned Afghan women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations. This directive has crippled the ability of aid groups to assess needs, distribute supplies, and provide medical care to women in the deeply conservative regions most affected by the earthquake.
International organizations have repeatedly warned that without female staff, they cannot effectively assist female victims, who often cannot interact with male aid workers due to cultural norms. The Indonesian team, as an external mission, represents a vital workaround to this logistical and ethical impasse.
MER-C, known for its humanitarian work in conflict and disaster zones, has a history of operating in Afghanistan. This latest mission underscores Indonesia’s commitment, as the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, to providing humanitarian assistance based on need, irrespective of political boundaries.
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