The International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Thursday expressed its concerns over the impacts of the Islamic Emirate’s ban on women from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), saying it “comes at a dangerous moment as winter conditions set in on a population already devastated by decades of conflict and an unprecedented economic collapse.”
The IRC said that the ability to reach Afghans in need relies on at its all level of organization.
“82% of female-headed households in Afghanistan are food insecure—32 percentage points more than male-headed households,” the IRC said.
Aria Baktash, who worked for an NGO, is among those who lost their jobs after the decision.
“After they issued the decree, both my sister and I lost our jobs. We were making our family’s expenses from our salaries at the organization,” she said.
The World Food Program of the UN in Afghanistan also said that it has suspended its operations for three weeks in the country.
“The WFP’s assistance or the humanitarian assistance will be vital in 2023. Because in 2023, 28.3 million or two-thirds of the population in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance,” said Wahidullah Amani, a spokesman for the WFP.
“The suspension of aid by donors will affect the process of provision of the international community’s assistance to the poor people of Afghanistan. It undoubtedly pushes the poor households into further poverty,” said Mir Shakib Mir, an economic affairs analyst.
This comes as the IRC said that it has reached out to six million people in one year.
“Eleven million women and girls are unable to have access to international aid due to such attempts, according to the UN. I think this issue gives an excuse for the organizations or to anyone else to not be able to provide aid,” said Sayed Massoud, an economic affairs analyst.
Earlier, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that 20 million people will face acute hunger by March 2023.
