UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations’ top humanitarian official in Afghanistan on Thursday warned that Taliban’s decision to ban women from working for the UN will have devastating consequences for aid delivery. Dr Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, said that amid severe underfunding, the move would “further undermine humanitarian partners’ ability to support the population, especially the most vulnerable such as women and girls”. “The world cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan at this precarious moment,” Dr. Alakbarov said, before urging the international community “not to punish the Afghan people further by withholding critical funding”. Multiple top UN officials, starting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, have condemned the latest Taliban decision. On Wednesday, the deputy UN chief, Amina Mohammed, pledged continued engagement by UN leadership with Taliban representatives to resolve the situation for the sake of Afghan people.
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In a statement on Wednesday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva, was engaging authorities at the highest level possible, as well as other Member States, the donor community and humanitarian partners, to reverse the latest Taliban decree. “In the history of the United Nations, no other regime has ever tried to ban women from working for the Organization just because they are women. This decision represents an assault against women, the fundamental principles of the UN, and on international law,” Ms. Otunbayeva said.