Aid groups resume some work in Afghanistan after Taliban assurances
Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and others suspended operations in December in protest at Taliban restrictions on women
Several aid organisations have restored some operations in Afghanistan after they received assurances from Taliban-run authorities that women could work in areas such as health, in spite of restrictions last month barring female NGO workers.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children and CARE said this week they were again operating some programmes, mostly in health and nutrition.
The Taliban administration last month ordered local and foreign aid organisations to stop letting female staff work until further notice. It said the move, condemned globally, was justified because some women had not adhered to the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic dress code.
Many NGOs suspended operations in response, saying they needed female workers to reach women in the conservative country.
“Last week, the ministry of public health offered assurances that female health staff, and those working in office support roles, can resume working. Based on this clarity, IRC has restarted health and nutrition services through our static and mobile health teams in four provinces,” Nancy Dent, a spokesperson for IRC, said.
An Afghan ministry of public health spokesperson said they had not stopped any health-related activities.
“Due to a misunderstanding they stopped their health services and now they have restarted their health services,” he said.
Save the Children said it had restarted a small number of its operations in health, nutrition and some of its education programme where it had received clear guidance from authorities that female workers could safely operate, but cautioned they were limited.
“The activities we’re working to restart will provide vital assistance, but these activities are only the tip of the iceberg of what is required,” said Samantha Halyk, a spokesperson for Save the Children.
Reuters