UN, Dec 29 UN Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths , heads of OHCHR, UNHCR, FAO, WFP, UNICEF, WHO and others are calling on the Taliban* to allow women to work for humanitarian NGOs, UN leaders said in a statement.
Earlier, the Taliban* ordered all local and international non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan to suspend the work of female employees.
«We call on the de facto authorities to review and repeal this directive and all directives that prohibit women from attending schools, universities and participating in public life. No country can afford to exclude half of its population from participation in society «, the statement said.
The authors of the statement note that the decision of the Afghan authorities to ban women from working in humanitarian non-governmental organizations is a serious blow for vulnerable categories, for women, for children and for the whole country.
«Banning women out of humanitarian work has immediate, life-threatening consequences for all Afghans. Some urgent programs have already been temporarily halted due to a shortage of female staff. This comes at a time when more than 28 million people in Afghanistan, in including millions of women and children, need help to survive as the country grapples with the risk of famine, economic recession, entrenched poverty and a harsh winter.»
Afghan media have also previously reported that the Ministry of Higher Education in the Taliban government has ordered the suspension of female students in private and public universities in Afghanistan. The Minister of Higher Education of Afghanistan said that the education of girls in secular universities violates the laws of Islam and is contrary to Islamic traditions.
* The movement is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities