New York: The United Nations has called on the Taliban government in Afghanistan to immediately lift restrictions preventing local female aid workers from carrying out their duties, warning that continued bans threaten vital humanitarian efforts, including earthquake relief.

In a statement issued Thursday, the UN said that de facto arrangements had previously allowed female staff to participate in aid distribution — a critical component in ensuring assistance reaches Afghan women in culturally sensitive ways.

“The regulation has allowed the United Nations to distribute essential aid across the country, through a culture-sensitive and principled approach, ensuring the distribution of aid by women, to women,” the UN said.

However, in recent weeks, Taliban security forces have reportedly barred Afghan female staff from entering UN offices, disrupting operations. A Taliban spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The restrictions come amid multiple overlapping crises in Afghanistan: a deadly earthquake in August that killed over 2,200 people, mass returns of refugees from Pakistan and Iran, and ongoing drought in the north. Aid organizations have warned that banning female workers severely limits their ability to reach vulnerable women and children.

Though the Taliban claim to support women’s rights “in accordance with Islamic law,” their policies tell a different story. Since seizing power in 2021, the group has banned girls from attending high school and barred women from universities and many forms of employment, including work with NGOs.

Humanitarian groups, including the World Health Organization, say Taliban rules — such as requiring female workers to travel with male guardians — make it nearly impossible to access Afghan women in need.

The UN has emphasized that its charter prohibits discrimination based on gender, a principle shared by many international donors, who have expressed concern that women’s exclusion could undermine future aid.

Afghanistan, already suffering from a diminished global aid spotlight due to other crises like Ukraine and Gaza, risks deeper humanitarian collapse unless restrictions are eased, the UN warned.