Blinken urges IEA to reverse UN work ban on Afghan women

KABUL (Pajhwok): US secretary of state Antony Blinken has urged the Islamic Emirate to put the Afghans first and reverse the decision barring women from working with the United Nations.

“This will threaten vulnerable Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance. We urge the Taliban to put Afghans first and reverse this decision,” Blinken said in a tweet.

“Disturbed by another reprehensible Taliban decision banning Afghan women from working with the UN.”

Meanwhile, US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West in a tweet said his country stands with the United Nations and condemns the caretaker government’s decision, which he said would further harm the Afghans.

On Wednesday, the UN secretary general and the UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, strongly condemned the interim government’s decision to prohibit women from working for the UN in Afghanistan.

The mission said it was notified by the de facto authorities that, with immediate effect, no Afghan woman was permitted to work for the UN in Afghanistan.

“This decision extends the directive previously announced on 24 December 2022, banning Afghan women working for national and international non-governmental organizations”.

UNAMA said several UN national female personnel have already experienced restrictions on their movements, including harassment, intimidation, and detention. The UN has therefore instructed all national staff – men and women – not to report to the office until further notice.

The order will further impact the international community’s engagement with Afghanistan, and the UN’s ability to support the population as they experience an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Two-thirds of the Afghan population, some 28.3 million people, require life-saving assistance to survive, including 20 million people who are food insecure, six million of whom are one step away from famine.

The order will also further negatively affect humanitarian partners’ ability to reach those most vulnerable, especially women and girls.

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