Taliban’s ban on female aid workers: ‘This is a red line for us,’ NGO head says

Aid groups are warning of a dire situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s banning of female NGO workers. Many major international aid groups have suspended their operations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). We spoke to the NRC’s Afghanistan director, Neil Turner, who said that organisations like his need female employees in order to access the women they serve. He called on the Taliban to live up to their promises, and warned that if the ban is not reversed the effects will be devastating, with millions losing access to food, safe drinking water and vital protection services. “This is a red line for us. We will not resume [our operations] without our female employees,” he told us in Perspective.