At least three international aid organizations have partially resumed their work in Afghanistan after receiving assurances from the Taliban that women in the country can continue to work in the health sector. These assurances allowed these organizations to partially resume their work in the country. In order to address the humanitarian crisis that is plaguing Afghanistan, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are absolutely necessary.
After the Taliban issued a ban on women working in non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan, CARE, Save the Children, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) halted their operations at the end of December.
“We have received clear and reliable assurances from relevant authorities that our female staff will be safe and can work without obstruction,” Save the Children said in a statement, adding that it has resumed work in the health sector in recent days, as reported by AFP. “We have received clear and reliable assurances from relevant authorities that our female staff will be safe and can work without obstruction,” Save the Children said in its statement.
The statement went on to say that “however, with the overall prohibition still in place, our other activities, where we do not have reliable assurances that our female colleagues can work, remain on pause.” In addition, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Care Foundation (CARE) have both acknowledged that they have restarted their work with female employees in the health industry.
In the wake of the announcement, members of the international community pleaded with the Taliban to rescind the diktat.
It was “a requirement for our society,” according to Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesman for the Ministry of Economy, who stated that women being allowed to work in the health sector should be permitted.
“We need them in order to support the children who are malnourished and other ladies who are in need of health treatments. “They are working in accordance with our religious and cultural norms,” he stated of the female staff members.
The Taliban had stated, prior to the issuance of the ban, that it was necessary due to the fact that women were not adhering to the stringent hijab order or the restriction that they must be accompanied by a male relative while traveling.