UN suspends work at Afghanistan-Iran border over curbs on women staff

The United Nations has suspended operations at a key border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran, citing new restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate that prevent Afghan women from working at the site, a UN official told AFP on Tuesday.

“The UN and humanitarian partners have today suspended operations at the Islam Qala border between Afghanistan and Iran, following the introduction of additional restrictions preventing female national UN and partner staff from operating at the border,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan.

Ratwatte did not specify the exact nature of the new measures but warned that they were creating “immediate operational challenges” and posed “additional risks for returning people, particularly women and girls.”

Islam Qala serves as the main crossing point for Afghans expelled from Iran, more than 60 percent of whom are women, according to UN data.

“Without female staff, we cannot collectively serve returning women and children under conditions of dignity and respect,” Ratwatte said.

Authorities of the Islamic Emirate have not yet commented on the suspension.

In 2022, the Islamic Emirate banned non-governmental organizations from employing Afghan women, a restriction later extended to UN agencies in 2023. While women are still allowed to work in limited sectors or remotely, all Afghan UN employees have reportedly been required to work from home for the past two months. NGOs, however, continue to deploy Afghan women in some field operations.

According to the UN, more than 1.2 million Afghans have crossed back into the country through the Islam Qala border from Iran so far this year, out of a total of 2.2 million returnees nationwide — including 1.7 million from Iran.

In July, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), described the situation at Islam Qala as a “test of our collective humanity.” She warned that many returnees, particularly women, face trauma, poverty, and restricted access to essential services under the current conditions.

Otunbayeva urged the international community to act swiftly, saying Afghanistan “cannot absorb this shock alone,” and that failure to respond would “cost lives and deepen instability.”