LSM Asing Hentikan Program Di Afghanistan

Kabari99- Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suspended humanitarian programs in Afghanistan on Sunday (25/12 after the Taliban banned them from hiring female staff.

A joint statement issued via the Twitter account , Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children and CARE International. In the tweet said that they could not work effectively in Afghanistan without women workers.

“Taliban ban on NGOs hiring women has forced the NRC and other humanitarian organizations to suspend services across #Afghanistan. We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in dire need without our female staff.” NRC wrote on its Twitter account @NRC_Norway.

The leaders of the three NGOs warned that the Taliban’s ban could impact the delivery of aid that saved the lives of millions of Afghans. And also affected thousands of jobs during the “great economic crisis” that the impoverished country is facing.

Also Read:  Jokowi’s Arrival Becomes a Christmas Gift for Father Paulus

“When we got clarity about the (Taliban) announcement, we suspended our program, demanding that men and women be able to continue with life-saving assistance equally in Afghanistan,” the statement added.

Taliban bans NGOs from hiring women for alleged dress code violations

The Taliban’s Ministry of Economy in a letter on Saturday (24/12) ordered local and foreign NGOs to immediately suspend the employment of female Afghan staff. The suspension was due to an alleged violation of the Islamic dress code, namely not wearing the headscarf properly.

During the past year the NRC has assisted around 850,000 people in Afghanistan. Especially in the field of clean water supply, sanitation, housing and education. NRC chief Neil Turner strongly condemned the ban as a move by the Taliban.

“We have received notifications without any proof. We always work with respect to culture, and of course our female staff dress appropriately. They (the female staff) have excelled in accessing areas where there is a high degree of cultural sensitivity, and we have done it effectively and in line with everything the Taliban authorities have hoped for until now.” Said Turner, from voaindonesia.com .

CARE Afghanistan Deputy Program Director Reshma Azmi said that 38 percent of the 900 staff in the organization are women. The group has helped more than 700,000 Afghans, including more than half a million women.

“Cultural sensitivity prevents male aid workers from replacing our female counterparts because they cannot easily reach and engage with female beneficiaries. This is clearly important for the most vulnerable women and girls, such as widows and women-headed households, who may not have men in their families to engage on their behalf.” he said.

Kabari99 – Yogyakarta