On the situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes
B-10-2025-0420
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Hannah Neumann, Maria Ohisalo, Erik Marquardt, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Ville Niinistö, Mélissa Camara, Mounir Satouri, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez
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Parliament condemns the Taliban's systemic discrimination against women and girls, calling it gender apartheid and possibly crimes against humanity, and supports ICC accountability efforts.¶¶ It urges scaled-up, principled humanitarian aid for earthquake victims, with full participation of women aid workers and unhindered access for women and girls.¶¶ It calls for robust access negotiations, flexible multi-annual funding for early recovery, and restoration of internet access, and urges member states to halt deportations and expedite visas for at-risk Afghans.¶¶¶
Key points
- Condemns Taliban's systemic discrimination against women and girls, reiterating that erasure from public life amounts to gender apartheid and may constitute crimes against humanity.¶
- Fully supports the ICC, the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, and a UN-mandated accountability mechanism.¶
- Urges Afghan de facto authorities to lift restrictions preventing women from working with NGOs and UN agencies in earthquake relief, and insists on equal access for women and girls to humanitarian assistance.¶
- Calls on the Commission, EEAS and member states to scale up humanitarian aid and winterisation support, prioritising healthcare, water, shelter and protection, with dedicated funding for women-led organisations.¶
- Stresses that donors should finance rapid aid distribution means, including mobile health teams, cash assistance, debris clearance and psychosocial support.¶
- Calls for robust access negotiations and risk-management safeguards so aid does not benefit or legitimise the de facto authorities, and supports channelling aid through UN agencies and vetted local partners.¶
- Urges the Commission and member states to increase flexible, multi-annual funding for early recovery and disaster risk reduction in earthquake-prone areas.¶
- Recalls the five benchmarks of the September 2021 Council conclusions and demands strict human rights conditionality in EU engagement.¶
- Urges the VP/HR to propose additional listings under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against those responsible for serious abuses, including impeding women's participation in humanitarian action.¶
- Supports international efforts to recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and calls on the EU to promote its inclusion in the crimes against humanity treaty process.¶
- Condemns internet shutdowns and throttling by Afghan authorities, calling for immediate restoration, and urges support for humanitarian telecommunications and documentation of harms.¶¶
- Calls on member states to expedite humanitarian visas and protection pathways for Afghan nationals at risk, and to refrain from deportations, given violations of non-refoulement.¶¶
Who is affected
- Afghan women and girls: face systemic discrimination; need equal access to aid and participation in relief work.¶¶
- Afghan de facto authorities: urged to lift restrictions, restore internet, and face potential sanctions.¶¶
- EU member states: called on to scale up aid, expedite visas, halt deportations, and protect the ICC.¶¶¶
- Afghan nationals seeking asylum: should not be deported and should receive protection pathways.
- International partners and UN agencies: encouraged to coordinate aid delivery and resource winter appeals.¶
Figures and deadlines
- At least 2 200 fatalities, 3 640 injured, more than 6 700 homes destroyed, up to 1 million people affected by earthquakes.¶
- 14.2 million Afghans already dependent on aid before the earthquakes.
- Over 22.9 million people – more than half of Afghanistan’s population – in need of humanitarian assistance.¶
- EU donated EUR 1 million in emergency humanitarian funding and dispatched approximately 130 tonnes of relief supplies.¶