Quake Zones: 11,000 Pregnant Women at Risk of Death, Complicated Births

DID Press: International organizations warned that pregnant women in Afghanistan’s earthquake-affected areas forced to give birth under critical conditions without medical care.

According to Save the Children Organization, more than 11,000 pregnant women in the earthquake-hit districts of Kunar province are living in temporary shelters under extremely harsh conditions. These women may have to deliver their babies amidst earthquake debris without access to proper medical facilities.

The earthquake that struck Afghanistan in mid-September 2025 killed approximately 3,000 people and injured around 4,000. It also caused widespread damage to infrastructure and buildings, leaving many—especially women and children—in critical living conditions.

Weeks after the disaster, healthcare services in these regions remain inadequate. Save the Children has warned that access routes to medical centers for pregnant women remain extremely dangerous. With winter approaching, the risks to mothers and newborns are expected to rise further.

Due to extensive damage to roads and buildings, many pregnant women are unable even to reach hospitals and healthcare facilities.