Afghanistan: Top UN delegation tells Taliban to end confinement …
Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women,Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General for UN political, peacebuilding and peace operations,Khaled Khiari, spend four days on a fact-finding mission in Afghanistan, to engage with Taliban leaders, and underscore UN solidarity with the Afghan people, according to a press release issued to correspondents on Friday.
In meetings with de facto authorities in Kabul and Kandahar, the delegation directly conveyed the alarm over the recent decree banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations, a move that undermines the work of numerous organizations helping millions of vulnerable Afghans.
The latest clampdown on working women followed edicts from the fundamentalist Talibanto close universities to female students, until further notice, and preventing girls from attending secondary school.
Women and girls have also been ordered to stop using parks, gyms, public bath houses, and banned from most areas of the workforce, together with other restrictions on their freedom of movement, in line with the authorities interpretation of Sharia law.
The ban on local women working in the crucial aid sector came into force last month, prompting many aid agencies to suspend operations, as they were unable to reach many families in need, without the support of female staff.
In response, Taliban rulers did announce some exemptions, that would allow women health workers to go about their lifesaving work.
My message was very clear, said the UN deputy chief. While we recognize the important exemptions made, these restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that confines them in their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the communities of their services.
Our collective ambition is for a prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours, and on a path to sustainable development. But right now, Afghanistan is isolating itself, in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis and one of the most vulnerable nations on earth to climate change, she added. We must do everything we can to bridge this gap.
During their mission, Ms Mohammed and Ms Bahous met with affected communities, humanitarian workers, civil society and other key actors, in Kabul, the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, and Herat.
We have witnessed extraordinary resilience. Afghan women left us no doubt of their courage and refusal to be erased from public life. They will continue to advocate and fight for their rights, and we are duty bound to support them in doing so, UN Womens top executive Ms. Bahous said.
What is happening in Afghanistan is a grave women's right crisis and a wakeup call for the international community.
It shows how quickly decades of progress on womens rights can be reversed in a matter of days. UN Women stands with all Afghan women and girls and will continue to amplify their voices to regain all their rights."
The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 25 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, and remain committed to staying and delivering.
While the recent exemptions to the ban introduced by the de facto authorities are opening spaces for humanitarians to continue - and in some cases resume - operations, these remain limited to few sectors and activities, said the UN statement on Friday.
The Taliban's restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan will exclude women from participation in political activities such as voting, as it was for this woman at the Bamyan polling center for Afghanistans parliamentary elections, which were held on the 20th of October 2018.
The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance is predicated on principles that require full, safe and unhindered access for all aid workers, including women, Ms Mohammed said.
The visit to Afghanistan followed a series of high-level consultations on Afghanistan across the Gulf and Asia, the UN reported.
The delegation met with the leadership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Islamic Development Bank, groups of Afghan women in the Turkish and Pakistani capitals of Ankara and the Islamabad, and a group of Ambassadors and Special Envoys to Afghanistan, based in Doha.
The delegation convened with government leaders from the region and religious leaders to advocate for the crucial role and full participation of women and rally support for the Afghan people, the statement added.
Girls play volleyball at a school in Herat, Afghanistan, in 2016.
Throughout the visits, the UNs crucial role as a bridge builder towards finding lasting solutions was emphasized, as well as the urgency to deliver lifesaving support and maintain effective engagement, led by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The top UN delegation called for efforts to be intensified to reflect the urgency of the crisis facing Afghan women and girls, and stressed the importance of a unified response by the international community.
The UN reported that a proposal to hold an international conference on women and girls in the Muslim World, during March this year, was also considered and agreed in principle.
Here is the original post:
Afghanistan: Top UN delegation tells Taliban to end confinement ...
- Afghanistan Protection Analysis Update - Update on protracted-crisis and climate-related protection risks trends, May ... - ReliefWeb - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- Three years after the US exit, Afghanistan still needs our help - The Hill - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- From Zambia to Afghanistan, WFP warns El Nino's extreme weather is causing a surge in hunger - KPRC Click2Houston - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- Fresh floods in Afghanistan kill at least 60 after heavy rain brings devastation - The Guardian - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- At least 50 dead after flash flooding in northern Afghanistan - The Guardian - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Flash floods kill more than 300 people in northern Afghanistan - NPR - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Death toll from Afghanistan's floods rises to 160: Officials - theSun - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Why Counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan Still Matters - United States Institute of Peace - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- At least 50 people dead after flash floods in Afghanistan - The Associated Press - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Flash floods kill more than 300 people in northern Afghanistan after heavy rains, UN says - ABC News - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- IRC: At least 250 lives lost in major flooding in Afghanistan; thousands of families cut off from essential services - International Rescue Committee - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Flash floods kill more than 300 people in northern Afghanistan after heavy rains, UN says - The Bakersfield Californian - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- The Taliban warn journalists and experts against cooperating with Afghanistan International TV - The Associated Press - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Afghanistan's 'Deadliest' Flash Flood:Hundreds of Houses Wiped Out Within Seconds in Harrowing Video - The Daily Gazette - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Flash floods kill scores of people in northern Afghanistan video - The Guardian - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- More than 300 dead in Afghanistan flash floods: WFP - The Caledonian-Record - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- More than 300 dead in Afghanistan flash floods: WFP - The Elkhart Truth - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- At least 150 killed in Afghanistan flash flooding Public Radio of Armenia - Public Radio of Armenia Official Web site - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Russia's Growing Ties With Afghanistan Are More Symbolism Than Substance - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- More than 300 people killed in Afghanistan as flash floods devastate region - The Irish Times - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Death toll from floods in Afghanistan increases to over 200 - Mehr News Agency - English Version - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Horror moment catastrophic floods tear through towns & roads turn into rivers as rain swamps Afghanistan... - The US Sun - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- Flash floods kill more than 300 in northern Afghanistan after heavy rain - BreakingNews.ie - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- The Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan is at war with the world - The Economist - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Opinion: The Afghan refugee crisis is a migratory time bomb that may soon go off - The Globe and Mail - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Don't Betray the Women of Afghanistan - Foreign Affairs Magazine - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- She secretly educated herself to escape Afghanistan. Now, she's working to help women still there - NBC News - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Al Qaeda Is Backand Thrivingin Afghanistan - Foreign Policy - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- After Attack in Russia, Focus Turns to ISKP in Afghanistan and Central Asia - The Diplomat - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- The Islamic State's Afghanistan-based affiliate is emerging as a global menace - Defense One - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Opinion | Republicans must aid Ukraine, or theyll fall, too - The Washington Post - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Woman shares story of educating herself, escaping Afghanistan and helping others - NBC News - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- The U.S. Failure in the Afghanistan War Wasn't the Withdrawal | WPR - World Politics Review - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- What We Know About ISIS-K, the Group That Has Been Linked to the Moscow Attack - The New York Times - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- UK special forces are accused of killing civilians during the conflict in Afghanistan - KULR-TV - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- U of T visiting scholar pairs Afghanistan advocacy with a passion for physics - University of Toronto - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- They fled Afghanistan after Bidens withdrawal. Now in the US, they hope Trump wins - The Guardian - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- From Afghanistan to Moscow's Crocus City Hall, The Monocle Daily 2731 - Radio - Monocle - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- ISIS Affiliate Linked to Moscow Attack Has Global Ambitions - The New York Times - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Robina Azizi Fled the Taliban. Now She's Saving Girls' Education in Afghanistan - The Daily Beast - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Opinion: Afghanistan is becoming a safe haven for terrorists again - The Globe and Mail - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Afghanistan secures third place in NSDF Futsal Championship - Amu TV - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- What is ISIS-K, the terror group allegedly responsible for the Moscow concert hall attack? - POLITICO Europe - March 28th, 2024 [March 28th, 2024]
- Taliban holds public execution for 2 men, who are killed by gunfire in a stadium as thousands watch - ABC News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- The Political Economy of Climate Governance in Afghanistan: An Analysis of the Context and Challenges - Middle East Institute - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Kentucky congressman calls for release of American detained by Taliban for more than 500 days - WLKY Louisville - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- The Taliban have to be in the room for any meaningful talks on Afghanistan's future - The National - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- The Taliban Refuses to Come the U.N. Conference on Afghanistan - The New York Times - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Taliban refuses to join U.N.-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan - NBC News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Never Say Never: Learning Lessons from Afghanistan Reviews - Afghanistan - ReliefWeb - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Drifting With Purpose: Sports Car Enthusiasts Rally In Afghanistan - Barron's - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Former Ambassador Testifies on U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan - C-SPAN - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- More than $400 million needed for western Afghanistan to recover from October earthquake, UN says - The Associated Press - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Drastic erosion of women's rights in Afghanistan continues - UN News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific (RBAP): External Update: Afghanistan Situation #32, As of 1 February ... - ReliefWeb - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clash: How the Taliban's Transnational Ambitions Threaten Pakistan - Foreign Policy - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Some Taliban fighters find classes, cars and city life in Kabul enticing - The Washington Post - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Biden privately defiant over chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, book says - The Guardian - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Drifting with purpose: sports car enthusiasts rally in Afghanistan - The Mountaineer - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- UN Doha Conference on Afghanistan Fails to Achieve Key Goals - The Diplomat - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Drifting with purpose: sports car enthusiasts rally in Afghanistan - El Paso Inc. - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Taliban Refuse to Attend UN Conference on Afghanistan - Voice of America - VOA News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- UN Conference on Afghanistan Begins Without Taliban - Voice of America - VOA News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- The Taliban carry out a double public execution at a stadium in southeastern Afghanistan - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- The Talibans Plan to Rebuild and Legitimize al-Qaeda - Geopoliticalmonitor.com - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Pakistan army kill 8 militants during a raid along the border with Afghanistan - Arab News - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Afghanistan arrests four local employees of Germany government ... - JURIST - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Afghanistan Crisis: MOSAIC is Your Chance to Make a Difference - BCBusiness - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Afghanistan to build 285 health centers nationwide | | news-journal ... - Longview News-Journal - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Afghanistan's Fate in the Balance: China and India's Quest for ... - South Asian Voices - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Press Release - Muslim Hands - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- U.S. bombs left in Afghanistan are ending up in the hands of ... - KEYE TV CBS Austin - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Shaheen: UN Using Afghanistans Seat to Pressure Kabul - TOLOnews - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Karzai emphasizes necessity of girls' and boys' education for ... - The Khaama Press News Agency - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Nearly 5,000 women killed by relatives in Afghanistan in 2022: UN ... - The Khaama Press News Agency - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Artistry of Nashenas Speaks to the Afghanistan He Had to Leave Behind - The New York Times - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- How We Made the Animated Documentary The Night Doctrine - ProPublica - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Hundreds of Airmen Will Receive New Medals for 2021 Afghanistan Evacuation - Military.com - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- The crisis in Afghanistan after series of devastating earthquakes - Mercy Corps - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Information Needed from Veterans of the War in Afghanistan - Morris County, NJ - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]