UN officials condemn Taliban ban on female Afghan staffers

By RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — United Nations officials are condemning a Taliban decision to bar female Afghan employees from working at the agency. The Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing power in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan. Afghan women already are barred from working at national and international non-governmental organizations, but the U.N. was not previously included in this ban. On Tuesday, senior U.N. officials expressed alarm about a ban after some female Afghan staffers were stopped from going to work in the east. The UN officials say the stoppage will affect the delivery of essential services.