UN Urges Taliban Not to Block Women from Working in Earthquake-Hit Areas
The United Nations has called on the Taliban to allow female aid workers to operate in earthquake-affected regions, following reports that the group has prevented Afghan women from working in UN offices in Kabul. The UN warned that such restrictions are hindering relief efforts for vulnerable populations.
Kokcha News Agency – The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the Taliban’s decision to block Afghan women from working in UN offices and has urged the group to immediately lift the ban. The UN stated that the Taliban’s actions are making it difficult to provide aid to those in need, particularly in earthquake-affected areas.
According to the UN, Taliban forces on September 7 prevented female Afghan staff from entering UN offices in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban told these employees that they are not allowed to work for the UN or any other organization.
UNAMA, the UN’s political mission in Afghanistan, had earlier reported that Taliban forces also prevented female staff from traveling to earthquake-hit areas. The UN emphasized that the purpose of these trips was to assist earthquake victims and returning migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
Reports indicate that the majority of victims in the recent earthquake in eastern Afghanistan are women and children. Findings by Afghanistan International and humanitarian organizations suggest that Taliban restrictions on women leaving their homes and limiting access to female aid workers have contributed to higher mortality rates among women in the affected areas.
The UN has called on the Taliban to adhere to previous agreements that allowed female aid workers to operate. Earlier, the Taliban had banned women and girls from working in both domestic and international organizations, but a prior agreement with the UN had allowed female staff to continue their work.
The UN warned that such actions jeopardize life-saving humanitarian aid and essential services for hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children in earthquake-affected areas in eastern Afghanistan. It also negatively impacts the handling of returning migrants at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The UN office in Kabul stated that the ban on the movement of its staff and the obstruction of its activities constitute a clear violation of international laws regarding the privileges and immunities of UN personnel.
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