Norwegian Refugee Council head urges the West to engage with Afghanistan
Dec 30, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], December 30 : Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), urged the West to engage with Afghanistan, reported TOLO News.
Egeland, during an interview with TOLO News, talked about the Taliban's recent decision banning women from going to schools, universities and working in NGOs. He said that such a decision would affect Kabul's relations with the international community.
"I am sure we will find a solution. We found the solution in the past. We never left Afghanistan. The western forces did, and the western diplomats did. I am also asking the western diplomats to engage more with the Taliban but again I don't think it is going to be in Doha because what is said in Doha, is not what is decided in Kabul and Kandahar," Egeland said, as quoted by TOLO News.
Islamic Emirate Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that the international community should first recognize the Taliban as the Afghan government.
"As the international organizations conduct their operations for humanitarian purposes, they should continue their assistance and link it to rules and laws because the people of Afghanistan need assistance," Mujahid said, as quoted by TOLO News.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on the Taliban to reverse its decision to ban women from working at NGOs.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Blinken stressed that millions of Afghans depend on humanitarian assistance for survival.
"I join allies and partners in calling on the Taliban to reverse their dangerous order barring female employees of national and international NGOs from the workplace. Millions of Afghans depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival. NGOs must reach the most vulnerable," Blinken said in the tweet.
Blinken's statement comes after the Taliban on Saturday ordered all local and foreign NGOs in the country to stop their female employees from coming to work, according to Tolo News.
According to a Khaama Press report, Afghanistan has converted into an isolated land for women. The report says that ever since American forces left Afghanistan and the Taliban grasped power in the country, Afghanistan has turned into a prison for its women.
Afghan people were left in complete desperation and chaos with no choice but to carry on with the circumstances, reported Khaama Press.
Afghanistan's Taliban has earned the reputation of absolutely excluding women from society during their previous spell in power from 1996-2001. With the re-emergence of the group last year, the women of Afghanistan had that nightmare growing day by day until it turned into reality not so long ago, reported Khaama Press.
