US should stop interfering in our internal affairs: Afghan govt

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Taliban government in Kabul, has asked the United States to stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

In a message on Twitter on Sunday, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, was commenting on the US authorities’ condemnation of the ban on women working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid said that all the organizations that want to work in Afghanistan are bound to comply with the rules and regulations of our country (Afghanistan).

“We do not allow anyone to talk nonsense or make threats about the decisions of our leaders in the name of humanitarian aid.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken has warned that the Taliban’s move to block women’s NGOs from operating would disrupt aid flows and could be ‘catastrophic’ for Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Antony Blanken wrote in a tweet that “it is a matter of deep concern that the Taliban’s ban on humanitarian aid to women in Afghanistan will affect vital and life-saving aid to millions of people.”

“We do not allow anyone to talk nonsense or make threats about the decisions of our leaders in the name of humanitarian aid.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken has warned that the Taliban’s move to block women’s NGOs from operating would disrupt aid flows and could be ‘catastrophic’ for Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Antony Blanken wrote in a tweet that “it is a matter of deep concern that the Taliban’s ban on humanitarian aid to women in Afghanistan will affect vital and life-saving aid to millions of people.”

Earlier on Sunday, foreign aid groups suspended their activities in Afghanistan after the Afghan Taliban banned women from working in global and local non-governmental organizations.

Aid organizations Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE say they cannot effectively reach children, women and men in need without female staff, according to the Associated Press.

The Taliban had banned women from working in NGOs a day earlier because they did not cover their heads properly.

Neil Turner, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Afghanistan, told the AP on Sunday that “we have followed all the cultural norms and we cannot operate without our dedicated staff of women, which is necessary for us to be able to Reach out to women who desperately need help.’

He said that the number of his female staff in Afghanistan is 468.

According to the AFP news agency, the three aid organizations that stopped working in Afghanistan said in a joint statement: “We are suspending our programs until we receive clarification (from the Taliban) on this announcement, demanding that the men and Women as equals continue our life-saving relief efforts in Afghanistan.’

On the other hand, the United States has condemned the Taliban for ordering non-governmental organizations to stop employing women in Afghanistan, saying that this ban will affect vital and life-saving aid for millions of people.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken said on Saturday: ‘Women are central to humanitarian work around the world. The Taliban’s decision can be disastrous for the Afghan people.

After the Taliban came to power last year, Afghanistan’s economy was suddenly affected and the country underwent a transformation. Millions of people fell into poverty and starvation; foreign aid was immediately cut off.

Afghanistan’s access to international institutions and money held abroad has already been limited by sanctions on the ruling Taliban, the freeze on bank transfers and the freezing of billions of dollars in Afghan assets. International organizations and assets abroad were aided by aid-dependent Afghanistan prior to the withdrawal of US and coalition forces.