The foreign minister has accused the Taliban of “trying to erase women from society in Afghanistan” after their ban on female NGO workers forced aid agencies to pull out.
James Cleverly said every person in Afghanistan will suffer the consequences of the policy as he urges the regime to change its mind.
Humanitarian leaders have warned that the exclusion of women from the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) would have catastrophic consequences for the population by depriving them of vital assistance.
Some have work already suspended in Afghanistan following the ban, which came days after the Taliban barred Afghan women from higher education.
The senior United Nations official in Kabul met with a taliban minister on Monday to discuss the decision and its damage to humanitarian relief efforts.
The foreign minister said on Twitter: “The Taliban are trying to erase women from society in Afghanistan.
“Barring women from working for NGOs will prevent millions of Afghans from accessing life-saving aid and supplies. It will impact everyone.
“The Taliban must urgently reverse this decision.”
The widely condemned measure, the latest of many restrictions on women’s rights under the Taliban, was announced on Saturday by Qari Din Mohammed Hanif, the economy minister.
It was imposed because some NGO workers in Afghanistan wore the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, incorrectly.
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The Taliban government’s higher education minister has defended his decision to ban women from university, saying it was necessary to prevent gender mixing in classrooms.
Ramiz Alakbarov, acting head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, met with Hanif on Monday and called for the ban to be reversed.
Before the ban, international aid agencies, including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council and Care, provided basic services as living conditions deteriorated.
David Miliband, the former foreign secretary who now heads the IRC, said its female staff were “a lifeline to millions of clients and we cannot work without them”.
Christian Aid said it suspended work while it sought to clarify the announcement and urged the Taliban to reverse the ban.
“Imposing a ban on female aid workers will only reduce our ability to help the growing number of people in need and risks worsening the serious humanitarian crisis facing women and girls,” said Ray Hasan of Christian Aid. .
Islamic Relief is temporarily suspending non-life-saving activities in the country, but will continue health care deemed life-saving.
