"Through this ban, the Taliban authorities are trying to force the UN to make a terrible choice between staying and delivering support to the Afghan people and standing by the norms and principles that we are obliged to uphold," the organization's branch in the country (UNAMA) said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the UN, the ban is a violation of the organization's statutes. 3,000 employees – both men and women – are now asked to stay at home until 5 May while "necessary consultations", operational adjustments and contingency planning are accelerated.

The latest Taliban restriction is seen as an extension of an earlier ban imposed last December that prevents women from working for national and international NGOs.