KABUL (Reuters) – A senior UN official has called on the Afghan Taliban government to reverse a ban on women aid workers who charities fear will exacerbate winter hardships.
On Saturday, the government ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) not to allow women to work until further notice. He said the measure, which was condemned globally, was justified because some women did not adhere to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
“Millions of Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance and removing barriers is vital,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in the statement, adding that its acting chief and humanitarian coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, had met with the minister. of Economics, Mohammad Hanif.
The guidelines prohibiting women from working in NGOs came from Hanif’s ministry. The orders do not directly apply to the UN, but many of its programs are carried out by NGOs subject to determination.
Four major global NGOs, whose humanitarian efforts have reached millions of Afghans, already announced the suspension of their operations on Sunday. Other smaller NGOs have also announced suspensions, including UK-based Islamic Relief Worldwide.
NGOs said they are unable to run their programs without female staff. More than half of the population depends on humanitarian aid, according to humanitarian agencies. Basic aid becomes more important during the mountain nation’s harsh winter.
Two Taliban government spokesmen did not respond to Reuters queries about the suspension of humanitarian programs.
NGOs are also an important source of employment for tens of thousands of Afghans, especially women. The local economy has collapsed following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces and subsequent Taliban seizure of power last year.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Kabul Newsroom)
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