Afghanistan: NGOs Halt Aid Services Until Restrictions on Female Employees Are Lifted by The Taliban
The Taliban's ban on Afghan women working for NGOs has left a catastrophic gap in life-saving support, and aid organisations say they have been "pushed against the wall" as a result.
Half of Afghanistan's population is hungry, and three million children are at risk of malnutrition; non governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a crucial role in addressing this humanitarian crisis.
Samira Sayed-Rahman, a senior official at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told AFP, "It is impossible for us to continue our activities in the country if we don't have women as part of our organisations at all levels."
Approximately 1,260 NGOs are serving the people of Afghanistan, with thousands of women providing support in healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.
Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), CARE International, and Save the Children, have temporarily halted their work in Afghanistan until the Taliban lift their ban.
Workers say that because of the Taliban's policy, thousands of women will lose their jobs, and many more will be left out of aid networks.
A high-ranking member of an international NGO that wished to remain anonymous said, "They tell us, 'If you choose to leave instead of obeying our rules, then the (humanitarian) situation will only worsen.'"
This was the second devastating order issued by the Taliban simultaneously; just days earlier, they had outlawed higher education for women. It capped off a prolonged stretch of incremental restrictions on women's rights.
Generally, women in Afghanistan are not supposed to interact with men unless they are relatives.
Reshma Azmi, CARE's deputy country head in Afghanistan, emphasised the importance of women for aid operations on the ground, particularly in locating other women in need.
"A female beneficiary also feels more comfortable talking to a female aid worker... that's why it's not possible without women staff," Azmi told AFP.
About half a million girls attended classes taught by women through CARE's education programme in 2022.
"We would not have reached even half of them without our female staff," Azmi said.
The government claims the ban was implemented because women were not following the Taliban's rules regarding the hijab or travelling with a male relative.
Samy Guessabi, the head of Action Against Hunger in Afghanistan, told AFP, "Humanitarian organisations respect the values, traditions, and culture of Afghanistan."
The Taliban argue that men in the family can still be relied upon to distribute aid, thus mitigating the need for female aid workers.
The United Nations is not included in the ban, and its representatives have joined those of non-governmental organisations in meeting with Kabul's authorities to demand an explanation for the order's issuance.