The United States said on Tuesday Washington is discussing “very specific consequences” of the recent decisions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) both internally and with its allies and partners.

This comes in response to the IEA’s recent moves to stop women from attending university and barring them from working for non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

“We have said repeatedly that there will be a response from the United States. We’re going to continue to coordinate closely. We’ll share additional details on that when we have,” Ned Price, the spokesman for the US State Department told reporters.

Referring to the ban on women working for NGOs, Price said that the decision puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their very survival. He called on the IEA to urgently reverse their decision.

“We know that women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. In Afghanistan in particular, only women have been able until now, at least, to reach some of the most vulnerable people inside Afghanistan. Women must work at NGOs. They must be in a position to do so, so that millions of Afghans can receive food, medicine, winterization materials, again for their very survival. They’re essential to the delivery of this assistance and to ensuring that other women, children, and other members of vulnerable groups receive this assistance,” Price said.

He said that the US will do what it can to prevent humanitarian situation in Afghanistan from deteriorating further.

“We are assessing the impact on this edict. We’re discussing options that will allow us to maintain a strong, principled position as the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan while also doing what we can to prevent the humanitarian situation from deteriorating even further as a result of the difficult operating environment the Taliban (IEA) have themselves created,” Price said.

The IEA asks the US not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Earlier, IEA’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said that efforts are underway for a reasonable and permanent solution to problems which would be compatible with Sharia rules and Afghan culture.