A journalist from New Zealand, Charlotte Bellis (known for being the Al Jazeera reporter that was the first to ask a question at the press conference when the Taliban took over; she asked them how they would ensure women rights), has had to turn to the Taliban for aid.
When working in Qatar, she missed a period, and found out she was pregnant. This was a huge surprise, doctors had always told her she was infertile.
This meant she had to immediatly flee from Qatar, for it is a criminal offense there for an unmarried woman to be pregnant.
But then she couldn't go back to her home country, New Zealand. She was put on the long waiting list for mandatory quarantaine.
She went to Belgium, where her friend and fellow worker is from. But in Belgium she was only allowed to stay for a short period, because of Schengen rules and regulations.
Yet still, she couldn't go back to New Zealand, because waiting list for quarantaine (which is basically a random lottery system, some people have not been able to go home to New Zealand for 2 years now because they didn't get a lucky draw).
She had to go back to Afghanistan, the only country she now has a valid visum for.
She wrote a letter to a high-placed Taliban official explaining the situation.
He told her 'You are welcome to come. Just tell anyone who asks that you are married, and call me when you get into trouble'.
Now she is in Kabul, fearing for her life, because Afghan healthcare has collapsed and a tens of thousands of women die every year while giving birth, and fearing for her life if someone finds out she is unmarried and pregnant.
The only medication hospitals in Kabul have at the moment are newspaper-wrapped loose paracetamol tablets.
She wrote a letter to the New Zealand Herald, asking her government.
'A few months ago I asked the Taliban what they would to to protect women and girls. Now I have to ask the same question to my own government. When the Taliban are the only ones offering you - a pregnant, unmarried woman - a safe place, you know you are in trouble'.
She then tried to apply for the medical emergency list for quarantaines. That was disapproved, because to apply for that, you need an exact date for medical procedure. Which ofcourse, with a pregnancy, is impossible to predict.
Only when she told her friends and acquaintances in New Zealand that she was going to appeal in court, and go public worldwide with the whole situation, she recieved word that 'her application will be looked at again'.
She is still in Kabul, far along with the pregnancy, hoping she can go home soon.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-new-zealand-journalist-charlotte-bellis-pregnant-and-stuck-in-afghanistan-denied-emergency-miq-spot/M5CYHAFNIEXPGRHW6EKAXXPJVA/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/miq-still-needed-despite-kiwi-journalist-charlotte-bellis-stuck-in-afghanistan-being-refused-entry-to-nz-epidemiologist/V4DOMTMSWEW5GFM6FFYR4GYHDQ/Perhaps New Zealand needs a name change, to Kafkaestan