The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has expressed his deep alarm over Afghanistan's decision to revoke the licenses of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that continue to employ Afghan women in the country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has expressed his deep alarm over Afghanistan's decision to revoke the licenses of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that continue to employ Afghan women in the country. The measure, issued by the de facto Ministry of Economy on December 26, enforces a two-year-old decree prohibiting women from working with both national and international NGOs. In his statement, Mr. Turk emphasized the devastating impact on the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Afghanistan the decree will have, where more than half the population lives in poverty. He noted that NGOs are essential to the survival of millions of Afghans, offering life-saving support to women, men and children alike. "This is absolutely the wrong path," Mr. Turk said, urging the de facto authorities to reconsider what he described as a "deeply discriminatory decree." Since coming to power, Afghanistan's de facto authorities have restricted the rights of women and girls, barring them from education, work, healthcare, and movement. These measures, including the latest crackdown on NGO employment, effectively erase women from public life, undermining Afghanistan's prospects for progress. Mr. Turk emphasized that "no country can progress - politically, economically or socially - while excluding half of its population from public life." The High Commissioner called on Afghanistan's leaders to rethink their course, not just for the sake of women and girls but for the future of the nation as a whole. He also highlighted the broader implications of these policies for the global community, noting that restricting women's participation in public life exacerbates poverty and hampers efforts to build a stable and resilient society. "For the future of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities must change course," Mr. Turk concluded.

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