Christian Aid condemns Taliban ban on female NGO staff

Women wearing burqa in Kabul. Wiki Image

Source: Christian Aid

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has announced a ban on NGOs employing women in Afghanistan. The ruling came in a letter on Saturday from the Ministry of Economy to all NGOs working in the country. It threatens to cancel the licences of any organisation that does not comply quickly. This rulling comes just days after all female students were barred from attending universities in Afghanistan.

Christian Aid's Head of Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean & Global Programmes Ray Hasan commented: "Millions of people in Afghanistan are on the verge of starvation. Reports that families are so desperate they have been forced to sell their children to buy food are utterly heartbreaking.

"Imposing a ban on female aid workers will only curtail our ability to help the growing number of people in need, and risks compounding the dire humanitarian crisis that women and girls face. Moreover, this ruling will deeply trouble families relying on the income of female aid workers amidst Afghanistan's severe economic crisis.

"Christian Aid is rapidly seeking clarity on this announcement and urging the authorities to reverse the ban. Whilst we do this, we are unfortunately pausing the work of our programmes."