Three foreign organizations suspended their activities in Afghanistan this Sunday, December 25 after the ban on NGOs working with women, a senior UN official warning that it will be ” very difficult “ to continue humanitarian aid “if the Taliban remain on their position”.
In a joint statement, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International announced the suspension of their activities pending the ban announcement made on Saturday by the Taliban. “clarified”.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban prohibit girls from going to university
“We are suspending our programs, demanding that men and women can equally continue our help to save lives in Afghanistan”explained the three associations at the end of a meeting bringing together senior UN officials and dozens of NGOs.
Half of Afghans need humanitarian aid
The Afghan Ministry of Economy on Saturday ordered all non-governmental organizations to stop working with women or risk having their operating license suspended. It was unclear whether the directive applied to foreign female NGO staff.
In the letter sent to local and international NGOs, the ministry explains that it took this decision after receiving “serious complaints” that the women working there did not respect the wearing of “islamic hijab”. In Afghanistan, women are forced to cover their faces and their entire bodies.
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“If they (the Taliban authorities) are not able to reverse this decision and find a solution to this problem, it will be very difficult to pursue and provide humanitarian assistance in an independent and equitable manner, because the participation of the women is very important”UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan Ramiz Alakbarov told AFP.
“We don’t want to immediately suspend aid because it would harm the Afghan people”he continued, referring to an impact “devastating” on the country’s already battered economy. “It was a saving of five billion dollars and it only has three more”he pointed out. “We will discuss this matter with the authorities. We will insist that this change”added Ramiz Alakbarov.
In Afghanistan, the war against women
According to the United Nations and aid agencies, more than half of the country’s 38 million people need humanitarian assistance during the harsh winter. Dozens of organizations work in remote areas of Afghanistan and many of their employees are women.
“The ban is going to impact all aspects of humanitarian work, as female employees hold key positions in projects targeting the country’s vulnerable female population”a senior official of a foreign NGO told AFP on Sunday.
“Hell for Women”
From Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Sunday to “a clear reaction from the international community”. “Whoever excludes women and girls from work, education and public life is not only ruining his country. […] Gender-based persecution can constitute a crime against humanity”tweeted the minister, adding that “We will not accept that the Taliban make humanitarian aid an issue of their contempt for women”.
In Afghanistan, public baths and gymnasiums are now prohibited for women
“This latest egregious rollback of the rights of girls and women will have far-reaching consequences for the provision of health, nutrition and education services to children”tweeted the regional director of Unicef, George Laryea-Adjei.
“There are 15 of us in my family and I am the only support, if I lose my job, my family will starve”testified Shabana, 24, an NGO employee in Kabul. “As you celebrate the arrival of the new year, Afghanistan has become hell for women”she added.
“We will come back stronger than ever”
Not wishing to give her name for fear of reprisals from the Taliban, another 27-year-old Afghan woman, who was to start working on Sunday in an international NGO, saw her “dreams fly away”. “The hard work that I had done in the last years in the field of education was shattered”she lamented. “But we are brave enough not to accept the bans, and fight for our rights. It may take time but if we believe in ourselves, we will come back stronger than ever.”.
The noose around women has tightened in recent months. The Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021, banned them, less than a week ago, from attending public and private universities, for the same reasons of dress code not being respected. They had already excluded them from secondary schools.
They are further barred from many public jobs, cannot travel without a male relative, and have been ordered to cover themselves outside the home, ideally with a burqa. They are also not allowed to enter the parks.
