Three NGOs suspend work in Afghanistan after Taliban bar women

Foreign aid groups on Sunday suspended their operations in Afghanistan following a decision by the countrys Taliban rulers to ban women from working at international and local nongovernmental organisationsSave the Children the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said they cannot effectively reach children women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without the women on their workforces The NGO ban was introduced a day earlier allegedly because women werent wearing the Islamic headscarf correctlyWe have complied with all cultural norms and we simply cant work without our dedicated female staff who are essential for us to access women who are in desperate need of assistance Neil Turner the The Norwegian Refugee Councils chief for Afghanistan told The Associated Press on Sunday He said the group has 468 female staff in the countryAlso read Women protest against Taliban ban on university education of female studentsThe developments came in response to the Talibans latest edict that curtails the rights and freedoms of women since they seized power last yearThe US has condemned the Taliban for ordering nongovernmental groups in Afghanistan to stop employing women saying the ban will disrupt vital and lifesaving assistance to millionsThe Taliban takeover last year sent Afghanistans economy into a tailspin and transformed the country driving millions into poverty and hunger Foreign aid stopped almost overnightSanctions on Taliban rulers a halt on bank transfers and frozen billions in Afghanistans currency reserves have already restricted access to global institutions and the outside money that supported the countrys aiddependent economy before the withdrawal of US and NATO forcesWomen are central to humanitarian operations around the world US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday This decision could be devastating for the Afghan peopleThe NGO order came in a letter from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif It said any organisation found not complying with the order will have their operating license revoked in Afghanistan It is the latest blow to female rights and freedoms since the Taliban seized power last year and follows sweeping restrictions on education employment clothing and travelThe flurry of edicts from the allmale and religiously driven Taliban government are reminiscent of their rule in the late 1990s when they banned women from education and public spaces and outlawed music television and many sportsThe UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres said he was deeply disturbed by reports of the NGO banThe United Nations and its partners including national and international nongovernmental organisations are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive he said in a statementAid agencies and NGOs are expected to make a statement SundayThe Economy Ministrys order comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan citiesAt around midnight Saturday in the western city of Herat where earlier protesters were dispersed with water cannons people opened their windows and chanted Allahu Akbar God is greatiquest in solidarity with female studentsIn the southern city of Kandahar also on Saturday hundreds of male students boycotted their final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University One of them toldThe Associated Press that Taliban forces tried to break up the crowd as they left the exam hallThey tried to disperse us so we chanted slogans then others joined in with the slogans said Akhbari who only gave his last name We refused to move and the Taliban thought we were protesting The Taliban started shooting their rifles into the air I saw two guys being beaten one of them to the headA spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor Ataullah Zaid denied there was a protest There were some people who were pretending to be students and teachers he said but they were stopped by students and security forcesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever