Taliban’s ban on female aid workers “like ending” many humanitarian programs: UNITED NATIONS

[ad_1]

United Nations : The head of the United Nations’ worldwide humanitarian operations, Martin Griffiths, warned on Monday that the Taliban’s ban on female aid workers in Afghanistan was tantamount to “scuttling” many vital humanitarian programmes. Martin Griffiths told a news conference that “it would be disastrous” if the Taliban did not include some exceptions to their decree.

He said a delegation including international aid groups had raised the issue last week during a meeting with nine Taliban officials, including Afghanistan’s foreign affairs and finance ministers, about the important role of Afghan women in humanitarian work. “We were told to be patient,” Griffiths said. We were told that Taliban officials are working on guidelines that could reportedly allow the presence of women in humanitarian work.

She said that the Taliban’s continued message that “there will be a place for women to work” is both comforting and an important message. Griffiths referred to a Taliban decree issued on December 24 last year that has prevented aid groups from providing jobs to Afghan women. Omar Abdi, deputy executive director of programming for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said six million Afghans are facing emergency-level food shortages and are just one step away from famine. He said that 875,000 children are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition this year and that is why “it is important to continue this work”.

[ad_2]

Source link