Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, has warned that Afghan women and girls in the country continue to face severe barriers to accessing healthcare, as restrictions imposed by the Taliban further weaken the country’s fragile health system.
Marking World Health Day, Bennett highlighted that curbs on women’s freedom of movement, as well as limits on the training and employment of female health workers, are contributing to preventable suffering and deaths across the country.
In a recent report focusing on the right to health for Afghan women and girls, he concluded that the Taliban’s policies amount to systematic violations of fundamental rights, severely restricting access to essential medical services.
The UN expert has repeatedly cautioned that without urgent international intervention, millions of Afghans—particularly women and girls—will remain deprived of basic healthcare. The situation has worsened significantly since the Taliban’s return to power, with the collapse of key parts of the health system and the closure of hundreds of medical facilities.
The United Nations has also warned of a sharp rise in healthcare needs across Afghanistan, even as the country struggles with dwindling resources. Despite repeated appeals by the Taliban for medical assistance, the delivery of aid has been hampered by ongoing regional tensions, including friction with Pakistan and the wider instability caused by conflict in the Middle East.
As humanitarian challenges mount, experts warn that the intersection of restrictive policies and limited access to aid is pushing Afghanistan’s healthcare system deeper into crisis, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burden.
