Top UN officials, NGO representatives to meet after Taliban ban on women staff

Top United Nations officials and dozens of NGOs working in Afghanistan are set to hold a meeting in Kabul on Sunday (December 25) to decide the way ahead after Taliban imposed a ban on women working in NGOs. The latest order issued by the Taliban has resulted in global outcry. Governments and organisations have warned that Taliban's latest stance may impact humanitarian services in the country. Millions in Afghanistan are dependent on such aid.

The latest restriction comes less than a week after the hardline Islamists banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.

Taliban's ministry of economy on Saturday threatened that operating licences of NGOs will be suspended if they did not follow the order of not employing women.

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The ministry, which issues these licences, said it had received "serious complaints" that women working in NGOs were not observing a proper Islamic dress code.

"A meeting of Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is scheduled later today to consult and discuss how to tackle this issue," Tapiwa Gomo, public information officer for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.

Top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and international NGOs are part of the HCT.

The United Nations, which said it would seek an explanation from the Taliban about the order, condemned the ministry's directive.

It said the order excluding women "systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardising efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country".

(With inputs from agencies)

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