Taliban Ban on Female Staff Forces UNHCR to Suspend Returnee Centers in Afghanistan
Tawazon – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on Thursday, September 11, that it has suspended operations at its returnee centers across several provinces of Afghanistan.
In a statement, UNHCR said the decision came after the de facto authorities barred Afghan women staff members from working. As result, the agency was forced to halt its services at the centers starting September 9.
These centers have been providing returnees with cash assistance, counseling, and other essential support to help them reintegrate into their communities afte years of displacement or exile.
UNHCR explained that the suspension was an “operational necessity,” noting that without female staff it is impossible to conduct interviews and collect information from returnee women, who make up 52 percent of the population served.
“We are currently engaging in constructive discussions with the defacto authorities and hope to find a solution soon that will allow female staff to return to their duties, ensuring that returnee women can also receive the support they need in line with cultural norms”, the statement read.
The agency stressed that the safety and security of all its staff, particularly Afghan women, remains its top priority. At the same time, UNHCR reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of displaced and Afghan returnees, as it has done for the past four decades.
