The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR) said in a statement on Monday night that many of its 183 national and international NGO members have &suspended, stopped or reduced their humanitarian activities and services& in the country.This comes after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Saturday banned women from working for NGOs.In their statement, ACBAR said it &urgently requests the Ministry of Economy to withdraw their suspension letter and engage in open discussions to find a constructive and durable way forward&.The organization said women staff play an essential role in NGO activities in providing humanitarian services, in order to respect traditional and religious customs.
&This exclusion of women will impact on communities in emergency food distribution, health services, basic education, livelihood training, protection services, and disability services,& the statement read.ACBAR members employ 55,249 Afghan nationals, of whom 28% are women.
Many women employed provide support for women and girls, and these activities must be provided by women staff working in NGOs, ACBAR said.&This decision to ban women from going to work will prevent NGOs from being able to carry out our essential life-saving work in Afghanistan.
Without women staff, we cannot reach all those in desperate need of our help,& the statement read.The post ACBAR says many NGOs have suspended operations following ban on women staff first appeared on Ariana News.