<h1>Humanitarian access and legal obligations challenged after deadly earthquake amid recognition limits and bans on women aid workers</h1> A major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has killed over 1,400 and injured 3,000+ in one province, prompting urgent cross-border humanitarian response amid legal and policy constraints: the de facto authority's limited international recognition and restrictive rules (including bans on women working for NGOs) have reduced donor funding and impeded aid delivery, raising compliance and liability issues for aid actors and foreign states. UN agencies and states have released emergency funds and in-kind assistance, while operational challenges and closed health facilities risk violating humanitarian principles and aggravating protection obligations under international law; coordination, access guarantees, and safeguards for aid distribution remain legally and operationally critical.