KABUL: The United Nations on Tuesday suspended operations at a key border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran because of new interim Afghan government restrictions on Afghan women workers, a UN official said.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, did not detail the restrictions but warned they were creating "immediate operational challenges" and posed "additional risks for returning people, particularly women and girls."
Main crossing point
Islam Qala is the main crossing point for Afghans expelled from Iran, more than 60% of whom are women and children, according to the UN official.
"The UN and humanitarian partners have today suspended operations at the Islam Qala border between Afghanistan and Iran, following the introduction of additional restrictions preventing female national UN and partner staff from operating at the border," said Ratwatte.
"Without female staff, we cannot collectively serve returning women and children under conditions of dignity and respect," Ratwatte added.
Several UN sources contacted by AFP said the decision followed a Monday meeting with interim Afghan government officials.
The Taliban authorities did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
An Afghan worker for a UN agency in Herat, near the border, said on Tuesday that "no services are being provided for migrants in either Islam Qala or in Ansar camp" in the city.
An NGO worker told AFP that their humanitarian organization suspended its operations in Islam Qala.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, had already suspended assistance to returning Afghans, citing "instructions from the de facto authorities preventing Afghan female staff from working."
Ban on employing Afghan women
In 2022, the Taliban banned NGOs from employing Afghan women, extending the measure to UN agencies in 2023.
While women are still allowed to work in certain sectors or remotely, all Afghan UN employees have been required to work from home for the past two months.
NGOs, however, can still deploy Afghan women as field staff.
According to the UN, more than 1.2 million Afghans have crossed through Islam Qala from Iran so far this year.
They are among the 2.2 million Afghans who have returned this year, including 1.7 million from Iran.
‘Test of our collective humanity’
Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, in July described the situation at Islam Qala as a "test of our collective humanity."
The UNAMA chief warned that many returnees, especially women, face trauma, poverty, and restricted access to basic services under Taliban rule.
She urged the international community to act swiftly, saying Afghanistan "cannot absorb this shock alone" and that the cost of inaction would be measured in lives lost and renewed instability.
