United States Special Representative Thomas West on Thursday meet with German officials in Berlin to discuss ways how to get Afghan women back to work and continue delivering vital aid to the people of Afghanistan.
During his visit to Berlin, Thomas West met with high-ranking German officials aimed at finding ways to help Afghan women being deprived of their basic right to education and work for non-governmental organizations. The two sides emphasized continuing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan during these difficult times.
West also met with some Afghan women who are supporting creative maternal health and education in Afghanistan. besides sharing his thoughts with the Afghan diaspora about helping Afghan women and girls, he reiterated the United States’ longstanding support for Afghan women.
The recent ban issued by the Islamic Emirate authorities barring Afghan women from working with NGOs has substantially negatively affected the delivery of humanitarian aid across Afghanistan. Certain aid organizations have even set the return of women employees to work as a precondition to the resumption of their much-needed operations in Afghanistan.
Restrictions on female employees of NGOs have prompted widespread criticism and condemnations from the international community – calling on the de facto authorities of Afghanistan to remove the gender-based restrictions and allow women to continue working with aid organizations.
In response to the recent bans on women’s rights, Washington has imposed additional visa restrictions on some Taliban (IEA) members, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
Mr. Blinken in a statement said that the new visa restrictions on current and former members of the Taliban, and individuals believed to be responsible for, or repressing women and girls in Afghanistan through restrictive policies and violence, including the Taliban’s decision to ban women from universities and from working with NGOs.
