“Our colleagues on the ground at the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has received orders from the authorities to de facto prohibit female UN national staff from working,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters at UN Headquarters during the meeting. regular daily meeting.
“We are still looking at how this development will affect our operations in the country,” he said. “We hope to have more meetings with the in fact government tomorrow in Kabul, where we are now try to find clarity.”
After Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in August 2021, the United Nations remained committed to staying and carrying out its mission, and called for unified support for the people of this country.
Despite relatively constructive initial engagements with the Taliban government, decision over the past year by fundamental leadership has including a ban on women’s access to higher educationwork for NGOs and have access to many public spaces.
Ban ‘unacceptable’: Guterres
Responding to reporters’ questions, Mr. Dujarric said an official communication from the leader of the Taliban, indicated that Orders will apply to the whole country.
“We hope we will hear a strong voice from the Security Council,” he said, noting that the UN mission operates according to its mandate.
For the Secretary-General, any Such a ban would be unacceptable And “frankly unbelievable,” said Mr. Dujarric.
‘essential’ female staff
The decision reportedly focused on UN staff, just the latest in a disturbing trend He added, weakening aid organizations’ ability to reach those most in need.
“Needless to say, but unfortunately, it should be said, Women workers are essential for the United Nations to provide life-saving assistance” he say.
“such an orderas we saw today, violation of women’s basic rights and violate the principle of non-discrimination,” he said. “Female staff members are essential to ensuring the continuation of UN operations on the ground in Afghanistan.”
An OCHA employee speaks to displaced women in Nangahar province, eastern Afghanistan.
‘Follow all paths’
Out of a population of about 40 million in Afghanistan, the United Nations is trying to reach 23 million men, women and children with humanitarian aid, he said.
“We will keep pursuing every path to make sure we reach the most vulnerable, especially women and girls.”
The most ‘oppressive’ place for women
March, Roza Isakovna OtunbayevaUnited Nations Special Representative and Head UNAMA Support mission, tell Security Council that Afghanistan under the Taliban is still “the most repressive country in the world” [for] women’s rights”.
“At a time when [the country] She needs all her human resources to recover from decades of war, half of their potential doctors, scientists, journalists, and politicians are locked in their homes, their dreams being thwarted. extinguished and their talents confiscated,” she said in report to the Board.
UN action in Afghanistan
- United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and partners are responding to deliver critical humanitarian relief.
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World food program (WFP) provide nutritionally balanced and fortified food assistance to vulnerable groups in need, including people displaced by conflict, people affected by disasters, refugees, people returning from neighboring countries and those affected by seasonal food insecurity.
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UN Migration Agency (IOM) provide assistance to more than 1,300,000 Afghans between 2021 and 2022, including access to protective services, water, sanitation, health, and daily basic needs through food distribution. food, temporary shelter and other necessities.
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The UN humanitarian affairs coordinating office (OCHA) focuses its work on assisting the most vulnerable by coordinating effective humanitarian aid delivery and principled humanitarian action.
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) support includes vaccines, access to safe drinking water and support for 556,160 children, 55% of whom are girls, with educational opportunities through 15,252 community-based education classes.
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The United Nations Population Fund supports sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA) provides a variety of services to those in need, including 117 mobile medical teams, providing maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health care and psychosocial support associations in remote communities, reaching 1.5 million across 25 provinces by 2022.
