Shahad Matar, a spokesperson for the UAE delegation to the UN, said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and France have asked for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to discuss Afghanistan on Friday.
Matar tweeted that the meeting will be held in closed consultations this Friday for a brief from UN Deputy Chief Amina Mohammed on her recent trip to Afghanistan, including her engagements, the messages she relayed, and her candid assessment of the situation.”
She added, “A closed meeting is the most effective and appropriate format for the Council to hear from the DSG, given the sensitive nature of the visit and the fluid situation on the ground.”
Last week, Amina Mohammed, a senior UN delegation, visited Afghanistan. She met with several high-ranking Taliban officials, emphasizing the need to ensure the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Ms Mohammad also asked the de facto authorities of Afghanistan to reverse the gender-based restrictions and allow women and girls to attend educational institutions and workplaces.
Furthermore, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also visited Afghanistan this week and met with senior Taliban-run government officials, including Abdul Ghani Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Griffiths said while speaking to the BBC that the Taliban officials he spoke with in Kabul had given him “encouraging comments” even though the government has not yet lifted the restrictions on Afghan women working for NGOs.
The acting Afghan authorities said to Griffiths that they plan to set new rules to allow Afghan women and girls to work in a few humanitarian operations.
Last month, the interim government outlawed Afghan women and girls from working for NGOs. As a result, some international organization halted their operations in Afghanistan.
Concerns have been raised that the prohibition may jeopardize important life-saving humanitarian activities in the country because Afghan women are essential in delivering aid.
In addition, Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis amid a freezing winter in the country. Out of the country’s total population, around 6 million are on the verge of famine, said Griffiths in Kabul.
