Authorities in Afghanistan declare ban on Afghan female NGO workers
- The IRC is dismayed and disheartened by the latest Taliban edict banning women from working for NGOs in Afghanistan.
- If our female staff are not able to work, we are not able to deliver to those in need. Therefore, we are currently suspending services.
- At a time when over 97% of the population is at risk of poverty, the IRC urges the authorities to take into consideration the grave humanitarian implications of their recent decision.
Country facts
- Population: 41.7 million
- People in need of humanitarian aid: 24.4 million
- Rank in Human Development Index: 169 of 189
IRC response
- Started work in Afghanistan: 1988
Plagued by decades of violent conflict and natural disasters, Afghanistan has created one of the largest refugee populations in the world. The IRC provides humanitarian relief and recovery assistance to those affected by crises.
For years, Afghanistan has struggled with a declining economy and dwindling security.
Years of conflict, poverty and the disruption caused by the pandemic were already taking their toll on the people of Afghanistan. The recent conflict and change of government, coupled with the worst drought in 27 years, have tipped the country over the edge. Economic collapse has sent food prices soaring.
Afghanistan ranks number one in the IRC's list of crises that are expected to deteriorate the most in 2022.
Despite many years of aid, Afghanistan’s former government struggled to provide clean water, electricity, safe roads and education services for its people. As a result, 24 million Afghans need humanitarian support.
Afghanistan is also embroiled in one of the most dangerous conflicts for civilians in the world: 2021 is on track to be the deadliest in over a decade—unless world leaders take action. International pressure is needed to protect civilians and enable aid workers to safely reach all those in need.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan reached record levels in the first half of 2021. Women and children are increasingly bearing the brunt of the conflict. Many are frequently subjected to violence, abuse and forced labour. And most lack access to health care, education and legal services.
Afghans who assisted the U.S. in their country, such as translators and interpreters, are also in great danger. The Biden Administration has been addressing a backlog in processing Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for these allies and looking at other paths for Afghans seeking safety—but these efforts benefit less than 1% of Afghans.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan have been internally displaced by conflict this year—but accurate and up-to-date figures are unavailable, because where fighting is most intense, humanitarian aid workers have also been forced to temporarily flee.
Overall, more than 1 million Afghans remain displaced from their homes due to ongoing violence and frequent natural disasters.
The likelihood of extreme weather events in Afghanistan, which is already prone to natural disasters, is rising due to climate change. These disasters coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict mean that more Afghans at home and abroad are being pushed into poverty, and increasing numbers of people are facing food insecurity. The number of people in need for 2021 nearly doubled compared to early 2020.
Our mission is to help people whose lives are shattered by conflict and disaster to recover and gain control of their futures.
The IRC began work in Afghanistan in 1988, launching relief programmes for people displaced by the invasion of the Soviet Union. We continued to provide aid under Taliban rule and later expanded our community development projects. We now work with thousands of villages across nine provinces, with Afghans making up more than 99% of IRC staff in the country. In recent years, the IRC has become one of the leaders in women’s protection and empowerment in the country.
As Afghanistan struggles to recover from ongoing conflict, natural disasters and COVID-19, the IRC:
- provides uprooted families with tents, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities
- supports over 100 health facilities, installs hand-washing stations in local communities, and provides information and training sessions about COVID-19.
- provides safe learning spaces in rural areas
- helps people find employment
- works with local communities to identify, plan and manage their own development projects
Together with the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC), we've launched an appeal to provide emergency food and nutrition support for children, support healthcare facilities and provide winter kits to help displaced families stay warm. Other priorities include supplying clean drinking water and protecting women and girls.
Support the IRC's work
Donate now to help the IRC support children and families in Afghanistan and in crisis zones worldwide.
We are appealing for funds to ensure our teams can continue to deliver lifesaving aid in areas of conflict, as well as to provide emergency cash assistance and protection services for internally displaced people in Kabul.
