On the situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes

B100418/2025

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes

(2025/2872(RSP))

The European Parliament,

− having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan,

–having regard to the Council conclusions of 14 November 2022 on women, peace and security, and to the Council conclusions of 15 September 2021 on Afghanistan, which outlined five benchmarks for EU engagement with the Taliban-led de facto authorities,

–having regard to the statements by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Afghanistan,

–having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948 and to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966,

–having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989, both ratified by Afghanistan,

–having regard to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, and to the protocol thereto of 16 December 1966,

–having regard to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) of 4 October 2024, ruling that systemic discrimination such as that faced by Afghan women under the Taliban’s rule amounts to persecution under EU asylum law,

–having regard to the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, of the other part, signed on 18 February 2017,

–having regard to the EU thematic guidelines on human rights defenders, on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, and on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas on 31 August 2025, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing over 2 000 people, injuring thousands more, wiping out several villages and destroying key transport routes, which severely hampered rescue operations; whereas four days later, on 4 September 2025, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake, and five aftershocks, struck the region, aggravating the humanitarian crisis;

B.whereas Taliban-imposed extreme restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls have hampered the emergency response to the earthquakes and exacerbated the suffering of women and girls; whereas rules impeding male rescuers from physically assisting women have led to delays or the denial of medical care and life-saving first aid to female victims; whereas the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education and employment have resulted in a serious shortage of female healthcare workers; whereas the Taliban government banned women from working in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and with the UN;

C.whereas, prior to the earthquake, the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, the hardest hit quake areas, were already facing drought and crisis levels of acute malnutrition, largely due to severe reductions in humanitarian funding and services; whereas several donor nations have curtailed or withdrawn assistance; whereas US foreign aid funding cuts under President Donald Trump have severely hit Afghanistan’s healthcare system and food assistance programmes;

D.whereas the quake-hit region is facing a massive influx of Afghan families returning to shattered homes and farmland, following their forced expulsion from Iran and Pakistan, where authorities have intensified expulsions of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers;

E.whereas Taliban policies have severely restricted the ability of humanitarian and aid agencies to operate within the country, contravening international human rights law and obligations;

F.whereas the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire, with nearly 24 million people dependent on humanitarian assistance, with almost 15 million suffering from acute food insecurity;

G.whereas on 29 September 2025, the Taliban government shut down internet and telecom services for 48 hours, limiting access to emergency services and isolating women and girls, for whom the internet has become the only way to connect and defy the Taliban’s ban on female education beyond sixth grade;

1.Expresses its deepest solidarity and sympathies with all individuals affected by the earthquakes, with their families, and with those involved in relief efforts in the aftermath of the disaster;

2.Deplores and condemns the cruel restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, resulting in the establishment of a gender apartheid, which unjustifiably hindered earthquake relief efforts and led to a lack of humanitarian assistance to women and girls; denounces as a crime against humanity the deliberate abandonment to which the Afghan regime has condemned the female victims of this tragedy;

3.Urges the de facto Afghan authorities to immediately halt their discrimination against women and girls; calls for the immediate restoration of women’s and girls’ full, equal, meaningful participation in Afghan public life, particularly their access to education and work; commends the courage of Afghanistan’s women and human rights defenders, and stands in solidarity with them;

4.Reiterates that gender equality and women’s rights are a precondition for democratic societies; stresses that the systemic oppression, discrimination, and segregation of women and girls constitutes a violation of fundamental rights and results in a system of gender apartheid; stresses the need to recognise gender apartheid as a crime under international law, to better protect and support women and girls in Afghanistan;

5.Urges the de facto Afghan authorities to immediately lift all restrictions on the work of the UN and NGOs operating in Afghanistan;

6.Calls for the EU, the Member States, the United States and other donor states to urgently step up support, and increase humanitarian aid and funding to support the Afghan people and address the needs of those impacted by the earthquakes;

7.Calls for the EU, its Member States and the international community to increase diplomatic pressure on the Taliban authorities to demand the restoration of a formal legal system, protection of human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, and the rule of law;

8.Expresses grave concern regarding the situation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, whose forced return puts them at risk; urges authorities in host countries to halt all expulsions to Afghanistan, especially for those at risk of persecution, and to urgently expedite the processing of applications from Afghans in need of safety and protection;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations and the de facto authorities of Afghanistan.