![Afghan people stand with food aid being distributed by an NGO at a gymnasium in Kabul on January 17. At least three leading international aid agencies have partially resumed life-saving work in Afghanistan, after assurances from the authorities that Afghan women can continue to work in the health sector. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]](/cnmi_st/images/2023/01/17/40317-af-aid-739_416.webp)
KABUL -- At least three leading international aid agencies have partially resumed life-saving work in Afghanistan, after assurances from local authorities that Afghan women can continue to work in the health sector.
Hundreds of NGOs have been instrumental in trying to address one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with half of Afghanistan's 38 million people hungry and three million children at risk of malnutrition.
With the arrival of the cold winter months, aid is even more crucial, especially for the thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs).
CARE, Save the Children and International Rescue Committee (IRC) suspended their operations in late December in protest at a government order banning Afghan women from aid work, the latest rollback of women's rights in the country.
![Women wait in a queue during a World Food Programme (WFP) cash distribution event in Kabul on November 29, 2021. [Hector Retamal/AFP]](/cnmi_st/images/2023/01/17/40315-000_9tl3ky-739_416.webp)
Women wait in a queue during a World Food Programme (WFP) cash distribution event in Kabul on November 29, 2021. [Hector Retamal/AFP]
"We have received clear, reliable assurances from relevant authorities that our female staff will be safe and can work without obstruction," Save the Children said in a statement, confirming they have resumed work in the health sector in the past few days.
"However, with the overarching ban still in place, our other activities where we do not have reliable assurances that our female colleagues can work, remain on hold."
The IRC and CARE also confirmed they have resumed work with women staff in the health sector.
The international community has been urging the government in a series of high-level meetings to reverse the order banning women in the aid sector, which was expected to have heavy consequences on aid flows coming into the country.
Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesman for the ministry of economy that ordered the ban, told AFP that it was "a need for our society" that women were allowed to work in the health sector.
"We need them to support the malnourished children and other women who need health services. They (women staff) are working in line with our religious and cultural values."
'New guidelines'
Two aid officials said negotiations were ongoing with the authorities to allow women to work in other sectors, including education, water, sanitation and food distribution.
"We are hopeful that there will be new guidelines soon," said an aid official with a foreign NGO, who asked not to be named.
The authorities might "selectively open" other sectors for women, another aid worker said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
"They are expected to ask NGOs which specific departments within their organisations and work sectors they need women staff for, and accordingly, permissions could be given," he said.
Aid officials said organisations had already segregated men and women employees and that women were wearing hijabs.
Women workers are vital for on-the-ground aid operations in Afghanistan, particularly in identifying other women in need.
"From the start of winter our situation has been worse. We have not eaten anything for four days," said Parveen, a mother of eight, standing in a queue to receive food aid in Kabul.
She said she preferred receiving aid from women workers rather than men.
"To a woman, you can tell everything," Parveen, 38, said.
The ban was one of two crushing orders made in rapid succession last month, after authorities had first barred women from university education.
Women have also been barred from going to parks, gyms and public baths. They are blocked from travelling without a close male relative and must cover up in public.
Voice of America says, Danish-Swedish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan set fire to a copy of the holy Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday. On Friday, January 20, Paludan said that he would burn a copy of the Quran during the protest on Saturday. This action took place after Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar canceled the visit of Swedish Defense Minister Paul Jonsen to Ankara on Saturday. Mr. Jonsen's trip to Turkey was canceled after the Swedish government on Friday gave permission for protests to be held in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday. In response to this action, Hulusi Akar said: "At this stage, the visit of Swedish Defense Minister Paul Jonsen to Turkey on January 27 has lost its importance and meaning. Therefore, we have canceled this trip." After Paludan burned a copy of the holy Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, the Turkish Defense Minister responded by saying: "We condemn this evil act, the attack on our holy book, in the strongest terms... It is completely unacceptable to act against Islam in the context of freedom of expression, which targets and insults Muslims. Through Salam Times, I ask the Islamic countries of the world to cut off their political and commercial relations with Sweden. Also, the rulers of Afghanistan should tell the Swedish organizations and bodies to leave Afghanistan. At the same time, Muslims of the world, especially the Afghans I want them to avoid any kind of
Reply3 Comment
In Afghanistan, if 10% of the population are wealthy, they are not used to help their neighbors or their relatives or the poor people. In Afghanistan, the wealthy have deprived the poor people of Kabul city and the famous cities of Afghanistan from the sunlight by building high structures of houses in the residential area. In Afghanistan, if it were not for the humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, WFP, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children, UNICEF, and UNESCO, the people of Afghanistan would have suffered from the humanitarian crisis caused by the lack of food. The United Nations should try to recognize the current government of Afghanistan for the sake of the poor and suffering people and continue its political activities so that the countries of the world recognize the current government of Afghanistan, and the poor people of Afghanistan get rid of various problems. The United Nations should not stop its humanitarian aid for a cruel decision of the current government. The people of Afghanistan need the aid of the United Nations. If in this difficult situation that Afghanistan is in, aid organizations make a cruel decision to stop their aid, then what is the difference between the current government of Afghanistan and the United Nations? My request to other aid organizations for Afghanistan is not to leave the people of Afghanistan alone, because they need your help. May God Almighty free all Afghans from these problems that, they are facing with.
Reply3 Comment
It is good that these organizations resumed their activities. There is a great need for these organizations to continue their work normally. Because if Save the Children stops working, Afghan children will grow up like wild animals. If the CARE organization stops working, the poverty level will increase, and people will live in a bad situation. Also, every organization that works in Afghanistan is needed. The other point is that people are busy working with them, doing jobs. And the money received from jobs circulates in the form of a chain that other people in the society also benefit from and benefit them directly and indirectly. It is useful for the current government to interact and overcome the difficult situation. Otherwise, the level of migration to other countries will increase even more. You (Salaam Times) know better than us what the situation is. In a report from the European Border and Coast Guard, I read that in 2022, the number of illegal traffic Afghans reached 330,000, which shows a 64% increment compared to the last year. The point is if the current government would not interact and the international community would not help Afghans, the illegal migration of Afghans to Europe and other countries may increase. The severity of poverty and economic disaster in Afghanistan, the monopoly of power by the Taliban, the termination of Afghanistan's interactions with the international community, the bans on girls' and women's education and work, and the general deprivat
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