WORLD NEWS | UN asks Taliban to clarify ban on women working in NGOs

New York [US]25 December (ANI): The United Nations is seeking to meet Taliban leaders to clarify a reported order banning all female employees of national and international organizations (NGOs) from going to work, according to the UN humanitarian office OCHA.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Saturday.

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“Their participation must be respected and guaranteed. This latest decision will only further harm those who are most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” the statement added.

On Saturday, the Taliban regime ordered all local and foreign NGOs to prevent female employees from coming to work in the country. The Taliban-led Ministry of Economy (MOE) has ordered all national and international NGOs to suspend their female employees until further announcement, TOLOnews reported.

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The order comes days after the Taliban ordered the closure of colleges for female students across the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the Taliban’s ban on women working for national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

“The Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by reports that the de facto Taliban authorities have banned women from working for national and international NGOs,” Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephen Dujarric said in a statement.

“This decision will undermine the work of numerous organizations across the country helping the most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” he added.

The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. According to reports, banning women from cooperating with the international community to save Afghan lives and livelihoods will cause more untold suffering to the Afghan people.

The UN Secretary-General has reaffirmed the right of all women to participate in the workforce, thereby contributing to the greater good. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)