Taliban's decision banning women from working with UN will threaten vulnerable Afghans: Antony Blinken

Washington [US], April 6 : United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the Taliban's "reprehensible" decision banning Afghan women from working with the United Nations will threaten vulnerable Afghans who rely on humtarian assistance.

He called on the Taliban to put Afghans first and "reverse this decision."

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Blinken stated, "Disturbed by another reprehensible Taliban decision banning Afghan women from working with the @UN. This will threaten vulnerable Afghans who depend on humtarian assistance. We urge the Taliban to put Afghans first and reverse this decision."

Blinken wrote the tweet in response to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghstan's (UNAMA) statement released on April 5 regarding the Taliban's decision to prohibit Afghan women from working with the UN. The UN in "strongest terms" has condemned the Taliban's decision.

"The UN has been notified by the de facto authorities that, with immediate effect, no Afghan woman is permitted to work for the UN in Afghstan, and that this measure will be actively enforced. This decision extends the directive previously announced on 24 December 2022, banning Afghan women working for national and international non-governmental orgzations," the UNAMA staement said.

According to the statement, several UN national female personnel have already faced restrictions on their movements, including harassment, intimidation, and detention. The UN has ordered all national staff, including men and women not to report to the office until further notice.

"The ban is unlawful under international law and cannot be accepted by the United Nations," the UNAMA said.

According to the statement, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghstan Roza Otunbayeva is engaging with the Taliban to convey the UN's protest and to seek an immediate reversal of the order. The UN is also engaging with member states, the donor community, and humtarian partners.

"In the history of the United Nations, no other regime has ever tried to ban women from working for the Orgzation just because they are women. This decision represents an assault against women, the fundamental principles of the UN, and on international law," Otunbayeva said.

The UNAMA further said that the Taliban's decision will further affect the international community's engagement with Afghstan, and the UN's ability to support the people as they experience an unprecedented humtarian crisis.

According to the statement, the Taliban in the past 20 months has announced a series of restrictive measures targeting women and girls which have sought to limit their participation in all aspects of social, economic, and political life.

Two-thirds of the Afghan population - some 28.3 million people - require life-saving assistance to survive, including 20 million people who are food insecure, six million of whom are one step away from famine. The order will also further negatively affect humtarian partners' ability to reach those most vulnerable, especially women and girls, the UNAMA added.