The acting head of the UN mission in Afghanistan has met Taliban leaders in a bid to persuade them to withdraw their ban on all women working for aid agencies.
The acting head urged the Taliban to reverse its ban on the employment of women by nongovernmental organizations.
“Millions of Afghans need humanitarian assistance and removing barriers is vital,” UNAMA said.
The agency said acting head and humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov met Monday with Taliban Economy Minister Mohammad Hanif in Kabul to urge the policy to be reversed.
Already at least four foreign NGOs have announced a suspension in services in Afghanistan in response to the ban, including Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International and the International Rescue Committee.
“We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff,” said a joint statement Sunday by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children and CARE International.
