The United Nations Support Mission in Afghanistan said that the acting head of the mission, Ramiz Alakbarov, urged the Afghan government to cancel the decision to ban Afghan female employees from working in non-governmental organizations, amid fears that the ban would exacerbate the hardships of the winter season.
"Millions of Afghans need humanitarian assistance, and overcoming obstacles is necessary," the mission said in a statement, adding that the acting head of the mission and its humanitarian coordinator met with Minister of Economy Muhammad Hanif.
And 4 international relief organizations announced on Sunday that they would suspend their operations, and smaller non-governmental organizations announced the suspension of their operations, including Islamic Relief Worldwide, which is based in Britain.
The organizations said in a joint statement that "pending clarity on this announcement, we will suspend our programmes, demanding that men and women continue equally to provide our life-saving assistance in Afghanistan."
Millions depend on NGO aid, and it is also an essential source of jobs for tens of thousands of Afghans, especially women, especially with the collapse of the local economy following the withdrawal of foreign forces last year.
The Ministry of Economy in the Afghan government formed by the Taliban ordered all non-governmental organizations the day before yesterday, Saturday, to stop the work of their female employees until further notice, because some of them did not adhere to the dress code.
The decision was met with Western condemnation, and it also sparked criticism inside Afghanistan, especially as it came days after the decision to suspend the studies of female students in universities.