USA: In a review of its operations in the nation in light of the Taliban's ban on women working for the international organisation, the UN reiterated its "commitment to stay" in Afghanistan on Friday.
On April 4, the UN announced that the Taliban had made it illegal for Afghan women to work in any UN offices nationwide; previously, this ban only applied to NGOs, leaving the UN unaffected.
After the review was conducted, the UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, declared that it was committed "to stay and deliver on behalf of the men, women, and children of Afghanistan," according to Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the secretary-general.
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Additionally, "to our donors to keep funding this assistance people need," he said, the appeal was made. UNAMA reiterated its condemnation of the ban in a statement released from Kabul, saying that it "seriously undermines our work, including our ability to reach all people in need."
The statement added that it had held "extensive consultations with numerous Afghan stakeholders, including civil society and women's groups, member states, and donors," and that "we cannot disengage despite the challenges."
To get this ban lifted and guarantee the safety of all UN and aid workers, we continue to engage with the Taliban at all relevant levels in a principled, constructive manner, the statement said.
The UN's local representatives in Afghanistan will "continue to discuss appropriate working modalities," according to Haq, who also noted that "humanitarian operations continue to be undertaken."
While other organisations in the nation "have had different ways of handling the situation," he pointed out, UNAMA has requested that all of its Afghan staff, both men and women, work from home ever since the ban.
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The Taliban regime has imposed a strict interpretation of sharia law since toppling a foreign-backed government in 2021, which the UN has dubbed "gender-based apartheid."
