The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that, following the Taliban’s ban on female staff entering UN offices, eight centers providing services to returnees in Afghanistan have been forced to shut down.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, confirmed in a press briefing on Friday, September 12, that the centers were closed on September 9.
According to Jamal, these centers provided daily assistance to approximately 7,000 returnees, many of whom relied on them for critical support.
He explained that services such as personal interviews and biometric registration of women can only be conducted by female staff. With women banned from work, these activities have come to a complete halt.
The UN reported that on September 7, Taliban forces blocked female Afghan staff from entering UN offices in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif. Armed fighters stationed outside the offices prevented women from entry.
Taliban officials told female staff that they are not permitted to work in any UN agency or other international organization.
The UNHCR has warned that if these restrictions continue, the delivery of humanitarian assistance—particularly to women and children—will face severe disruptions, putting already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
