Three major international aid groups, including Save the Children, said on Sunday they were suspending their programs in Afghanistan in response to the Taliban government’s order to stop aid workers from working.
On Saturday, the government ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organizations to send their female staff home until further notice. Furthermore, he said the measure, which was condemned globally, was justified because some women did not adhere to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code.
Three NGOs – Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International – said in a joint statement that they were suspending their programs pending clarification of the government order.
“We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in need in Afghanistan without our female staff,” the statement said, adding that without women leading the effort, it would not have reached millions of Afghans in need since last August.
The suspension of some aid programs that millions of Afghans access comes at a time when more than half the population depends on humanitarian aid, according to NGOs, and during the coldest season in the mountainous country.
The joint statement also highlighted the effect of banning women from thousands of jobs amid a massive economic crisis.
Earlier, the international aid agency AfghanAid said it was immediately suspending operations while consulting with other organisations. The entity also stated that other NGOs were taking similar actions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan also expressed concern on Sunday over the measure and an earlier ban on women attending university, warning of “catastrophic humanitarian consequences in the short and long term”.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban government, hit back at the criticism, saying all institutions wishing to operate in Afghanistan are required to abide by the country’s rules.
“We do not allow anyone to talk nonsense or make threats about our leaders’ decisions under the heading of humanitarian aid,” Mujahid said in a Twitter post, referring to a statement by the head of the US mission in Afghanistan.
In a Twitter post, Chargé d’Affaires Karen Decker questioned how the Taliban planned to prevent starvation among women and children after the ban. She highlighted that the US is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the country.
Source: CNN Brasil
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