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Three months on, Afghan women UN staff still barred from entering offices nationwide
The UN warns that the longer the restrictions persist, the greater the threat to life-saving services across the country.
It has now been three months since Afghanistan’s authorities imposed a nationwide ban preventing Afghan women staff and contractors from entering United Nations premises — a restriction the UN says continues to endanger critical humanitarian operations.
Despite being unable to access UN offices for 91 days, Afghan women personnel have continued their work remotely and within communities, delivering essential assistance to millions of people. Their efforts have supported families affected by recent earthquakes in eastern and northern Afghanistan, helped thousands of returnees arriving from Pakistan and Iran, and ensured vulnerable communities continue to receive food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, livelihood support, and climate-resilience assistance.
The UN warns that the longer the restrictions persist, the greater the threat to life-saving services across the country.
“Afghan women are indispensable to the United Nations’ work in Afghanistan,” the statement said, noting that women staff are essential to safely reaching Afghan women and girls and providing culturally appropriate support. “Assistance must be delivered by women, to women.”
The UN reiterated its strong opposition to the ban, calling it a violation of the organisation’s founding principles on equality and human rights, and stressing that it undermines its ability to fulfil its mandate in Afghanistan.
In response to the ongoing restrictions, UN agencies, funds and programmes have implemented additional interim operational adjustments and continue to evaluate feasible ways to sustain their principled humanitarian activities.
The United Nations again urged the Islamic Emirate to reverse the ban and ensure the safe, unrestricted access of Afghan women staff and contractors to UN offices and field locations — a necessary step, it said, to ensure aid reaches the women and girls who need it most.
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Minister of Education: Kalashnikovs and ‘yellow barrels’ not enough for modern defense
Habibullah Agha, Minister of Education of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), says that in the current era it is not possible to defend a country using only Kalashnikov rifles and so-called “yellow barrels,” which the Islamic Emirate widely used in bombings in its fight against foreign occupation.
He made the remarks on Sunday during a ceremony held in Bamyan province.
According to him, such weapons or systems would only be effective if an enemy were physically present inside national territory. “If the enemy is in the sea or in another location and launches rockets from there, or uses aircraft to bomb us, we will have to develop and produce our own defensive equipment,” he said.
The minister further stated that Iran has developed a defense system that, in his view, even the United States has been unable to overcome.
He also criticized divisions among Muslims, claiming that disagreements have escalated to the point where some are cooperating with the United States in actions against Iran.
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Haqqani, Chinese ambassador discuss bilateral ties and regional stability
The Minister of Interior Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, met with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.
During the meeting, both sides explored ways to further strengthen and expand cooperation between Kabul and Beijing. The discussions also highlighted China’s role in contributing to solutions for regional challenges, Afghan Interior Ministry said.
It was emphasized that Afghanistan’s is committed to promoting stability and peace across the region, while prioritizing the resolution of key issues and the well-being of its people.
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Afghan, Saudi foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties and regional issues in phone call
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations, addressing the concerns of Afghan nationals in Saudi Arabia, and discussing key regional developments.
During the call, Muttaqi described the expansion of ties between Kabul and Riyadh as important and expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support regional stability, according to a statement released the by Afghan Foreign Ministry.
He also thanked Saudi authorities for facilitating services for Afghans residing in the kingdom, particularly in areas related to consular support and information-sharing. He emphasized the need to further strengthen human resources and capacity within diplomatic missions.
The Saudi foreign minister, in turn, underscored the importance of enhancing diplomatic relations between the two countries and welcomed efforts aimed at improving the capacity of Afghan diplomatic representations.
Both sides highlighted the importance of regional stability for all countries and stressed that challenges should be addressed through dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
The conversation concluded with an agreement to continue mutual engagement and to arrange in-person meetings at a suitable time.
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