Kabul, Sept. 14 -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has closed several of its aid centres in Afghanistan, including those supporting Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran, after the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged the Taliban authorities to address the issue of restrictions on female staff, Tolo News reported.

Arafat Jamal, UNHCR's chief in Afghanistan, underlined that women's participation is essential for their operations.

"On the 9th of September, we took the decision to close our encashment centers. We didn't take this lightly and we knew that it would have consequences for many returnees. These centers are essential to distribute the initial cash that people receive, to register people biometrically, ...