UN Security Council Briefing: Taliban Hinders Aid to Afghanistan

Restrictions on Female Staff and Aid

• 🚫 Taliban authorities have blocked female national staff from accessing UN field offices, severely hindering the UN's ability to provide aid.
• 🌍 This restriction impacts the UN's support for earthquake victims and other critical assistance efforts.
• 📉 International Financial Institution (IFI) funded projects, such as those from the World Bank, are also affected due to these bans.

Impact of Bans on Women and Girls

• 📚 The ban on higher education for women, coupled with the ban on women working, is creating unacceptable discrimination and hindering progress.
• 📉 The World Bank estimates the ban on women working costs the economy $1.4 billion USD per year.
• 😟 A UN Women survey indicates the vast majority of Afghans oppose the ban on girls' education, with a generation at risk of being lost.

Humanitarian Aid and Economic Challenges

• 💰 The international community has provided nearly $13 billion USD in assistance since 2021, distributed largely without major interference.
• ⚠️ Aid cuts of almost 50% in 2025, partly due to Afghanistan's anti-women policies, pose a significant threat.
• 📈 Afghanistan's economy, primarily agricultural, faces challenges including drought, climate stressors, and significant population returns.

Positive Developments and Ongoing Concerns

• 🕊️ Since August 2021, Afghanistan has seen a decline in large-scale armed conflict and violence, creating a more stable security environment.
• 🚫 While the ban on poppy cultivation has been sustained, it has devastated rural Afghans who relied on it for livelihoods.
• ⚖️ Despite some positive steps like decrees prohibiting torture, violations of general amnesty and human rights concerns persist.

Future Engagement and Crisis Management

• 🤝 Most Afghans desire continued engagement between the international community and their country, despite obstacles.
• ⚠️ The UN urges member states to refrain from involuntarily returning individuals at risk of human rights violations to Afghanistan.
• ❓ It remains an open question whether pragmatism or ideology will guide the de facto authorities in managing the current