Afghanistan Times
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Kabul: The United Nations said Tuesday it is reviewing its presence in Afghanistan after Afghan women barred from working for the world organization — a veiled suggestion the U.N. could move to suspend its mission and operations in the country.
Last week, Afghanistan’s rulers restricted women UN staff and said that Afghan women employed with the U.N. mission could no longer report for work. They did not further comment on the ban.
The U.N. said it cannot accept the decision, calling it an unparalleled violation of women’s rights.
The 3,300 Afghans employed by the U.N. — 2,700 men and 600 women — have stayed home since last Wednesday but continue to work and will be paid, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
In a statement, the U.N. said it “will endeavor to continue lifesaving, time-critical humanitarian activities” but “will assess the scope, parameters and consequences of the ban, and pause activities where impeded.”
The statement by the U.N. said its head of mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, has “initiated an operational review period” that would last until May 5.
During this time, the U.N. will “conduct the necessary consultations, make required operational adjustments, and accelerate contingency planning for all possible outcomes,” the statement said.
In response to the recent position of the United Nations, the interim government spokesperson says that preventing women from working is an internal issue of Afghanistan, and added that the responsibility of the humanitarian condition of Afghanistan is on those who imposed sanctions and banking restrictions on Afghan people.
