UN Requests Afghan Staff to Stay Home After Women's Work Ban

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan announced in a statement today, Tuesday, that it has initiated a review process of its operations and requested its Afghan staff to refrain from going to their offices until May 5, pending "necessary consultations" and any required adjustments to its operations and expedited emergency planning. The UN stated last week that the Taliban government informed them that Afghan women are not allowed to work for the international organization. The mission said, "Through this ban, the de facto authorities of the Taliban seek to force the UN to make a terrible choice between staying and providing support to the Afghan people, and adhering to the norms and principles that we are obligated to uphold."