G7 Calls on Taliban to ‘Urgently Reverse’ Ban on Female Workers

The G7 foreign ministers urged the Taliban to “urgently reverse” a ban on women working in Afghanistan’s aid sector.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the G7 ministers along with those of Australia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the Netherlands affirmed that they were “gravely concerned that the Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order… puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival.”

“We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse this decision,” they said in the statement issued by Britain’s foreign ministry,” the statement read.

The remarks came after six aid bodies halted operations in Afghanistan in response to the ban. They included Christian Aid, ActionAid, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE.

Meanwhile, millions across the Afghan nation are dependent on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban had already barred teenage girls from secondary school.