KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has suspended cash assistance for Afghans returning from neighboring countries after the Taliban barred female staff from reporting to work, leaving thousands of returnees without critical support.
The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed on Thursday that Taliban forces are preventing UN female national staff from reporting to work. Taliban personnel are stationed outside UN offices in Kabul, Herat, and Balkh provinces, preventing women from entering the premises.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday, Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, said cash distribution and support centers in the border region have been closed since September 9 due to the ban.
“Cash distribution is not possible without female staff, as female recipients must undergo biometric registration,” Jamal said, adding that female recipients cannot register their biometric information with male employees.
He warned that the suspension would have severe consequences for thousands of returnees arriving daily from Iran and Pakistan, many of whom have no resources and cannot afford transport to their home provinces. So far this year, about 2.5 million Afghans have been deported or voluntarily returned from neighboring countries.
“The decision was operational, not intended to punish individuals or make a statement, but it shows that the agency cannot operate under certain conditions without female staff,” Jamal said.
UNHCR has called on the Taliban to lift the ban immediately to ensure that humanitarian operations can continue and that returnees receive the support they urgently need.
Earlier, UNAMA also urged the Taliban to reverse restrictions on women working in UN offices, warning that the measures threaten essential humanitarian operations.
The ban is part of the Taliban’s broader restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan, including prohibitions on education beyond sixth grade, employment, traveling without a male guardian, visiting parks, and accessing beauty salons. UN experts, rights groups, and activists have described these measures as “gender apartheid.”
