“These incalculable restrictions on women and girls will not only increase the suffering of everyone in Afghanistan,” High Commissioner Türk warned in Geneva on Tuesday. “I fear they pose a threat outside Afghanistan as well,” he said, indirectly referring to the risk of further refugee flows.
The Afghan Ministry of Economic Affairs called on Saturday for employees of non-governmental organizations to be suspended until further notice. The reason given was that the women did not comply with the headscarf regulations of the militant Islamist Taliban leadership. The Taliban had previously banned students from attending universities and high schools until further notice.
No country can survive economically if half the population is left out, Turk said. In addition, some life-saving health services are only provided by NGO workers, he said, calling for the restrictions to be lifted immediately.
(SDA)