UN: Dozens of humanitarian projects suspended due to Taliban intervention
Bayan News – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 83 critical projects have been suspended over the past year due to Taliban interference.
On Tuesday, October 22, OCHA released a report stating that since September of this year, 83 humanitarian projects were temporarily suspended following 173 incidents.
According to the report, 98% of these incidents were caused by Taliban interference, marking a 66% increase compared to last year.
The report also noted that in September alone, two organizations in Afghanistan were temporarily closed, and one project was relocated. The southern, eastern, and western regions of the country were the most affected.
OCHA added that these incidents included interference in humanitarian activities, violence against staff, and restrictions on the movement of organizations, personnel, or goods within Afghanistan.
Over the past year, nine humanitarian workers have been detained by the Taliban, and three organizations have been forcibly shut down, according to the report.
OCHA stated, “These incidents continually disrupt the operational environment, putting the safety of humanitarian staff at risk.”
In September, there were 73 cases of direct Taliban interference in program implementation, 35 cases involving recruitment, 19 cases of requests for sensitive information from staff, five cases affecting supply processes, five instances of restrictions on the participation of female staff, and three cases related to women’s dress code.
Additional Taliban interference included illegal taxation, aid seizures, delays in signing documents, and the use of facilities.
The report highlighted that since the Taliban’s implementation of the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law, the Ministry of Virtue has interfered in humanitarian activities 48 times.
According to OCHA, this interference included office inspections, staff detentions, workspace segregation, requests for sensitive information, and dress code requirements for female employees.
Taliban officials have not yet commented on this report but have previously claimed no interference in the operations of international organizations.
2024 Global Hunger Index Report; Afghanistan Falls Two Ranks into Poverty
