KABUL, Dec 24 (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all native and overseas NGOs to cease female workers from working, in a transfer the United Nations stated would hit humanitarian operations simply as winter grips a rustic already in financial disaster.
A letter from the economic system ministry, confirmed by spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, stated female workers of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) weren’t allowed to work till additional discover as a result of some had not adhered to the administration’s interpretation of Islamic dresscode for ladies.
It comes days after the administration ordered universities to shut to ladies, prompting world condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.
Both choices are the newest restrictions on ladies which are prone to undermine the Taliban-run administration’s efforts to realize worldwide recognition and clear sanctions which are severely hampering the economic system.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Twitter he was “deeply concerned” the transfer “will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions,” including: “Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”
Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy particular consultant for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator, instructed Reuters that though the U.N. had not acquired the order, contracted NGOs carried out most of its actions and can be closely impacted.
“Many of our programmes will be affected,” he stated, as a result of they want female workers to evaluate humanitarian want and establish beneficiaries, in any other case they will be unable to implement aid applications.
International aid company AfghanAid stated it was instantly suspending operations whereas it consulted with different organisations, and that different NGOs had been taking comparable actions.
The potential endangerment of aid programmes that tens of millions of Afghans entry comes when greater than half the inhabitants depends on humanitarian aid, in line with aid companies, and throughout the mountainous nation’s coldest season.
“There’s never a right time for anything like this … but this particular time is very unfortunate because during winter time people are most in need and Afghan winters are very harsh,” stated Alakbarov.
He stated his workplace would seek the advice of with NGOs and U.N. companies on Sunday and search to satisfy with Taliban authorities for an evidence.
Aid staff say female staff are important in a rustic the place guidelines and cultural customs largely forestall male staff from delivering aid to female beneficiaries.
“An important principle of delivery of humanitarian aid is the ability of women to participate independently and in an unimpeded way in its distribution so if we can’t do it in a principled way then no donors will be funding any programs like that,” Alakbarov stated.
When requested whether or not the foundations straight included U.N. companies, Habib stated the letter utilized to organisations underneath Afghanistan’s coordinating physique for humanitarian organisations, generally known as ACBAR. That physique doesn’t embrace the U.N., however contains over 180 native and worldwide NGOs.
Their licences can be suspended if they didn’t comply, the letter stated.
Afghanistan’s struggling economic system has tipped into disaster because the Taliban took over in 2021, with the nation dealing with sanctions, cuts in improvement aid and a freeze in central financial institution property.
A file 28 million Afghans are estimated to want humanitarian aid subsequent yr, in line with AfghanAid.
Reporting by Kabul newsroom; extra reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington
Editing by Mark Potter and Josie Kao
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
