The Taliban have extended to Afghan women employed by the UN, “essential” for the distribution of humanitarian aid, the ban on working throughout the country, the UN spokesman announced Tuesday.
He denounced a “unacceptable and frankly inconceivable” decision.
The United Nations mission in the country (Manua) had indicated hours before that Afghan UN employees, until now freed from this type of restrictive measures, had been prevented from working in the province of Nangarhar, in eastern Afghanistan.
An “unacceptable” and “inconceivable” ban
“La Manua has learned of an order from the de facto authorities that prohibits UN national employees from working” and “we were told through different channels that the prohibition applies to the entire country,” said the spokesman for the Secretary General of the UN, Stéphane Dujarric, to the press.
Noting that no written order has been received at this stage, he said UN officials would meet with authorities in Kabul on Wednesday to try to get “clarity”.
He denounced the desire to “undermine the capacities of humanitarian organizations to help those who need it most.”
On December 24, 2022, the Afghan Ministry of Finance announced that the 1,260 NGOs operating in the country were banned from working with Afghan women, due to “serious complaints” about non-compliance with the hijab, which must be fully covered. . the body and the face. The UN, however, was not involved.
Multiplication of draconian measures against women
In a speech to the United Nations Security Council on March 8, International Women’s Day, the head of Manua, Rosa Otunbayeva, nevertheless expressed her concerns.
“We are also concerned that national female staff working for the United Nations will also be banned,” he said.
The day after the ban, several NGOs announced that they would suspend their activities, before resuming their activities in mid-January with the support of their female staff in some sectors that benefit from exemptions, such as health and nutrition.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have returned to the austere interpretation of Islam that marked their first step to power (1996-2001) and have multiplied their draconian measures against women.
Source: BFM TV
