The United Nations has asked all Afghan staff, both men and women, to stay home until at least May following the Taliban's directive barring female employees from working for the global organisation. The UN mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said on Tuesday that it is reviewing its operations and conducting consultations to determine how to proceed.
The Taliban, who seized power in 2021, communicated the ban on female UN workers last week. Taliban officials have not commented publicly on the order. The UN stated that implementing the ban would violate its charter, forcing it to choose between staying to deliver aid and upholding its principles.
The restriction affects some 3,000 staff members, who have been told not to report to work until 5 May while the UN accelerates contingency planning. This follows a similar ban on most female NGO workers in December, which drew heavy international criticism.
Officials have warned that donors may reduce support for Afghanistan's humanitarian programme, the world's largest. They also noted that delivering aid and reaching women in the conservative country would be impossible without female workers. The Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on women's access to work, education, and public life, claiming they respect women's rights under their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
