Source The United Nations
Media www.rajawalisiber.com – United Nations top officials condemned today in the strongest terms the Taliban’s decision to ban Afghan women from working with the UN in Afghanistan.
Speaking to journalists in New York via videoconference on Wednesday (5 Apr), the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, said, “It’s a clear violation of our fundamental human rights of women. I have met Afghan female staff members and they’re essential for UN’s work, including in the delivery of life saving assistance and some national colleagues have already experienced restrictions on their movement.”
Mohammed reiterated that “both Afghan women and men are essential to all aspects” of the organization’s work and it is “taking all possible measures right now to support our national female staff at this difficult time.”
The Deputy Secretary-General informed that “UN national female staff will continue to receive their salaries and posts of women on staff will not be backfill by women” and “the participation of female staff in the humanitarian response is essential if the UN is to reach populations in need of safety and effectively with principled and quality assistance.”
Mohammed also said that the UN’s leadership “is continuing to engage with the Taliban de facto authorities as well as neighboring countries” and had met this morning with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
She also informed that until additional clarification is received, the UN is instructing all national staff, men and women, not to report to the office.
On a personal note, Mohammed said she was “outraged” and “terribly troubled by the fact that in the month of Ramadan, that what we get from the Taliban is a strike against the teachings and the belief of Islam.”
She added, “The Holy Quran or the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam allows and gives rights to women on education, for work.”
Also addressing journalists on Wednesday, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that António Guterres “strongly condemned” the Taliban’s decision and notes that “this is a violation of the inalienable fundamental rights of women.”
Dujarric added, “The Secretary-General adds that the ban also violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international humanitarian law, and infringes on the principle of non-discrimination, which is a core tenet underpinning the United Nations Charter.”
According to the spokesperson, Guterres “emphasizes that female staff members are essential to the United Nations operations, including in the delivery of life-saving assistance, and that the enforcement of this decision will harm the Afghan people, millions of whom need assistance.”
The Secretary-General, said Dujarric, is also calling “on the Taliban to immediately revoke the decision and reverse all measures that restrict women’s and girls’ rights to work, education and freedom of movement.”
The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, told journalists that this is “a new escalation” of the actions that have taken already a “cruel” and “devastating blow” against Afghan women.
According to Alakbarov, the decision “will further undermine our collective ability of the entire community to support the population, which is experiencing unprecedented humanitarian crisis”, a crisis that “is largely centered around women and girls who are the most vulnerable”.
The Deputy Special Representative also noted that this year’s humanitarian response plan for the country is the largest in the world, targeting 33 million people, and has only raised 215 million of the $4.6 billion appeal.