CNN
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Not less than half a dozen main overseas support teams have stated they’re briefly suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred female employees of non-governmental organizations from coming to work.
“We can not successfully attain kids, ladies and men in determined want in Afghanistan with out our feminine employees,” support organizations Save the Kids, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE Worldwide stated in a joint assertion Sunday.
“While we acquire readability on this announcement, we’re suspending our programmes, demanding that women and men can equally proceed our lifesaving help in Afghanistan,” stated the assertion, which was signed by the heads of the three NGOs.
One other support group, the Worldwide Rescue Committee, stated that of the greater than 8,000 individuals it employs in Afghanistan, greater than 3,000 are ladies. “If we’re not allowed to make use of ladies, we’re not capable of ship to these in want,” it stated in a statement on Sunday, asserting it was pausing operations within the nation.
Afghanaid additionally suspended its work in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s transfer, whereas Islamic Reduction stated it had been pressured to “briefly droop non-lifesaving actions in Afghanistan.”
The Taliban administration on Saturday ordered all native and worldwide non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to cease their feminine workers from coming to work, based on a letter by the Ministry of Financial system despatched to all licensed NGOs. Non-compliance will outcome within the licenses of stated NGOs being revoked, the ministry stated.
David Wright, chief working officer for Save the Kids Worldwide, instructed CNN on Monday that the group was unable to “attain tens of 1000’s of weak moms and kids proper throughout the nation” due to the ban.
“We will’t get out to work as a result of we’d like our feminine colleagues to assist us get entry to ladies and kids. You possibly can’t entry younger moms or younger kids in training if you happen to don’t have feminine employees, as a result of it’s not applicable in Afghanistan to have all-male employees coping with younger ladies or kids,” he stated.
Within the letter, the ministry cites the nonobservance of Islamic gown guidelines and different legal guidelines and rules as causes for the choice.
“Recently there have been critical complaints relating to not observing the Islamic hijab and different Islamic Emirate’s legal guidelines and rules,” the letter stated, including that because of this “steerage is given to droop work of all feminine workers of nationwide and worldwide non-governmental organizations.”
The brand new restrictions mark yet another step within the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on the freedoms of Afghan ladies, following the hardline Islamist group’s takeover of the nation in August 2021.
Though the Taliban have repeatedly claimed they may defend the rights of women and girls, they’ve in actual fact finished the other, stripping away the hard-won freedoms for which ladies have fought tirelessly over the previous 20 years.
“The supreme chief is doing no matter he can… to make ladies as powerless as potential, even when there are different factions that say in any other case,” Afghan human rights activist Pashtana Durrani instructed CNN on Sunday.
“The Taliban don’t care. They need ladies to be as restricted as potential, particularly the supreme chief,” she added.
Earlier this week, the Taliban authorities suspended university education for all feminine college students in Afghanistan.
In a televised information convention on Thursday, the Taliban’s increased training minister stated that they had banned ladies from universities for not observing Islamic gown guidelines and different “Islamic values,” citing feminine college students touring with no male guardian. The transfer sparked outrage amongst ladies in Afghanistan.
A group of women took to the streets within the metropolis of Herat on Saturday to protest the college ban. Video footage circulating on social media confirmed Taliban officers utilizing a water cannon to disperse the feminine protesters. Ladies may very well be seen working from the water cannon and chanting “cowards” at officers.
Among the Taliban’s most putting restrictions have been round training, with ladies additionally barred from returning to secondary colleges in March. The transfer devastated many college students and their households, who described to CNN their dashed dreams of turning into docs, lecturers or engineers.
The United Nations on Saturday condemned the Taliban’s NGO announcement and stated it will attempt to receive a gathering with Taliban management to hunt readability.
“Girls have to be enabled to play a essential function in all points of life, together with the humanitarian response. Banning ladies from work would violate probably the most elementary rights of ladies, in addition to be a transparent breach of humanitarian ideas,” the UN assertion learn. “This newest choice will solely additional harm these most weak, particularly ladies and ladies.”
UNICEF stated the order was an “egregious rollback of rights for women and girls (that) may have sweeping penalties on the supply of well being, diet and training providers for kids.”
Amnesty Worldwide referred to as for the ban to “be reversed instantly” and for the Taliban to “cease misusing their energy.”
The Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross (ICRC) stated Sunday it was notably involved about the way forward for Afghanistan’s healthcare system and feminine sufferers.
The ICRC stated that it helps 45 well being buildings in Afghanistan, together with hospitals and medical colleges. Amongst others, it pays the salaries of 10,483 well being employees – 33% of whom are ladies.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken additionally condemned the transfer Saturday. “Deeply involved that the Taliban’s ban on ladies delivering humanitarian support in Afghanistan will disrupt very important and life-saving help to thousands and thousands,” he wrote on Twitter. “Girls are central to humanitarian operations around the globe. This choice may very well be devastating for the Afghan individuals.”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated US officers ought to “not intrude within the inner problems with” Afghanistan.
“These organizations operative in Afghanistan are obliged to adjust to the legal guidelines and rules of our nation,” he tweeted Sunday, including, “We don’t allow anybody to state irresponsible phrases or make threats concerning the choices or officers of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan underneath the title of humanitarian support.”
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