BAHARIN LEHIB

Baghlan- Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, all people, especially women, have been subjected to all kinds of oppression. Poverty is the biggest problem faced by people; however, the recent floods in the country deepen this crisis even further. Hundreds of people have been killed and more than a thousand houses have been destroyed by the floods. Baghlan province in the north of the country is one of the places most affected by the floods in the country.

The Nahrain and Borka districts of Baghlan province, anger against the Taliban government is growing among the people suffering from poverty and unemployment in despair. Due to the severe floods, the people are also deprived of health services. Since child marriage is common in the country, many women suffer from pain, anemia and gynecological problems. Almost all women have at least six children.

We face more challenges due to the floods

Shahperi Vahad gave birth to her first child when she was 16. Due to poverty, her mother married her off at a young age. “My daughter was very young and had a weak body. That’s why her child was not healthy,” said her mother. Shahperi Vahad and her family have also been affected by the floods.

Another woman, whose house was destroyed by the floods, told us that her 3-year-old son had heart disease. After facing many problems for a long time, we managed to transfer my son to the hospital to undergo a surgery six months ago. Due to the floods, her health has been deteriorating; she suffers from skin problems and always cries.”

She had an abortion but cannot receive treatment

Hosh Begum Salih is another women suffering from destruction caused by the floods. She had to end her pregnancy when she was pregnant with her eighth child. “I had an abortion at the state hospital in Baghlan; however, I cannot receive treatment. Since my surgical abortion, my wounds have not healed. We do not have a health center in our district. We have to walk two or three hours to go to the nearest health center. The health center has two doctors but they cannot do anything for us because they have very little medical equipment,” she told us.

Women struggle to survive despite the destruction caused by the floods, complain most about the collapse of health services in the province and call on the authorities to rebuild the collapsed health system.