Report: Taliban interfering with NGO work in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A U.S. report says a Taliban fighter fired his rifle into the air during a food distribution event recently in Afghanistan, citing it as an example of their harassment of nongovernmental groups working in the country. The Taliban have barred Afghan women from working at NGOs and the U.N. in Afghanistan, allegedly because they were not wearing the hijab, or Islamic headscarf, correctly, or observing gender segregation rules. Wednesday’s report said the firing incident was one example of recent confrontations between the Taliban and NGOs. Others include Taliban requests for information on personnel and budgets and demands for more involvement in NGO’s decision-making.