AFP: The UN humanitarian chief said yesterday he has pleaded with the Taliban to let women participate in a massive effort to support desperate Afghans struggling to survive a “savage” winter.
Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than half of its 38 million population facing hunger and nearly four million children suffering from malnutrition.
At least 166 people died in a recent wave of bitterly cold weather that heaped misery on the poverty-stricken nation. The crisis was compounded last year when Taliban leadership banned Afghan women from working with NGOs, forcing several aid agencies to suspend their vital work.
In recent weeks, the authorities have allowed women to work in the health sector only. But “Afghanistan is going through a savage winter,” UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Martin Griffiths told reporters.
“Last winter, we managed to survive. I don’t know if we can do this indefinitely, not with these bans.”