The United Nations today demanded the Taliban to lift the ban on women working for non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan, after a meeting of the head of the UN mission in the country with the authorities.
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ramiz Alakbarov, who coordinates humanitarian assistance in the country, met today with the Afghan Minister of Finance, Mohamad Hanif, but no further details about the meeting were disclosed.
“Millions of Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid and removing barriers is crucial,” Alakbarov said in a post on his Twitter account.
Alakbarov himself said on Saturday that he was “deeply concerned” by the Taliban’s decision and said it was “a clear violation of humanitarian principles” pointing out “the crucial role of women in all aspects of life and the humanitarian response”.
The decision was announced on Saturday by the Afghan Ministry of Economy and affects all national and international non-governmental organizations. Although it does not directly affect the UN, it makes many of its aid programs impossible, as they are carried out by NGOs affected by the measure.
The announcement also came just days after the Taliban banned women from university education, which drew criticism from the international community, including much of the Islamic world. The Taliban announced on Friday that they would open an internal debate to discuss the criticism.
