World News | Taliban decision to ban women from working with UN will threaten vulnerable Afghans: Anthony Blinken

washington [US]6 April (ANI): US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Taliban’s “reprehensible” decision to bar Afghan women from working with the United Nations would threaten vulnerable Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid.

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

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Blinken said on his official Twitter that he is disturbed by yet another reprehensible decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working with @UN. This will threaten vulnerable Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid. We urge the Taliban Put Afghans first and reverse this decision”

Blinken wrote the tweet in response to an April 5 statement by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) about the Taliban’s decision to bar Afghan women from working with the United Nations. The United Nations condemned the Taliban’s decision “in the strongest possible terms”.

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“The de facto authority informed the United Nations that with immediate effect no Afghan woman will be allowed to work for the United working with international NGOs,” the UNAMA statement said.

Several female U.N. national personnel have already faced movement restrictions, including harassment, intimidation and detention, according to the statement. The United Nations has ordered all national staff, both men and women, not to report to the office until further notice.

“The ban is illegal under international law and cannot be accepted by the United Nations,” UNAMA said.

According to the statement, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, is in contact with the Taliban to convey the UN’s protest and seek an immediate rescission of the order. The United Nations also engages with Member States, the donor community and humanitarian partners.

“In the history of the United Nations, no other regime has attempted to ban women from working for the organization simply because they are women. This decision represents an attack on women, fundamental principles of the United Nations and international law,” Otunbayeva said.

UNAMA further stated that the Taliban’s decision will further affect the international community’s engagement with Afghanistan and the ability of the United Nations to support the people as they go through an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

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

Two-thirds of Afghanistan’s population – some 28.3 million people – need life-saving assistance to survive, including 20 million food-insecure people, 6 million of whom are one step away from famine. UNAMA added that the order would also further negatively impact the ability of humanitarian partners to reach the most vulnerable, especially women and girls. (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)