Afghanistan, Sept. 13 -- The UN closed eight returnee support centres after a ban on women staff, warning vital humanitarian services face disruption in Afghanistan.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has shut down eight support centres in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred female employees from working in its offices. Arafat Jamal, UNHCR's representative in Afghanistan, confirmed the closures on September 9.
Jamal said the centres had been assisting nearly 7,000 returnees daily with services such as interviews and biometric registration. These tasks, he stressed, require female staff, making the Taliban's ban operationally crippling and forcing the suspension of services.
According to Reuters, Taliban forces on September 6 stat...