World
Taliban ban on women workers hits vital aid for Afghans
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Final June, a group of feminine medical doctors and nurses drove six hours throughout mountains, dry riverbeds and on unpaved roads to achieve victims of a large earthquake that had simply hit japanese Afghanistan, killing greater than 1,000 folks.
Once they received there, a day after the earthquake hit, they discovered the boys had been handled, however the girls had not. In Afghanistan’s deeply conservative society, the ladies had stayed inside their tents, unable to return out to get medical assist and different help as a result of there have been no girls support employees.
“The ladies nonetheless had blood on them,” mentioned Samira Sayed-Rahman, from the help company Worldwide Rescue Committee. It was solely after she met native elders to inform them concerning the arrival of a feminine medical group that ladies got here out to get therapy. “That’s not simply the scenario in emergencies; in lots of components of the nation, girls don’t exit to get support,” she mentioned.
It’s an instance, Sayed-Rahman mentioned, of how very important girls employees are to humanitarian operations in Afghanistan — and exhibits the influence that might be felt after the Taliban final month barred Afghan girls from working in non-governmental organizations.
The ban, introduced Dec. 24, pressured a widespread shutdown of many support operations by organizations that mentioned they can’t and wouldn’t work with out their feminine employees. Help companies warn that a whole lot of 1000’s are already harm by the halt in companies and that, if the ban continues, the dire and even lethal penalties will spiral wider for a inhabitants battered by many years of battle, deteriorating residing circumstances and financial hardship.
Help companies and NGOs have been holding Afghanistan alive because the Taliban seized energy in August 2021. The takeover triggered a halt in worldwide financing, a freeze in foreign money reserves and a cut-off from international banking, collapsing the already fragile economic system. NGOs have stepped into the breach, and offering every little thing from meals provisions to fundamental companies like well being care and schooling.
After the ban, 11 main worldwide support teams together with some smaller ones suspended their operations fully, saying they can’t function with out their girls employees. Many others have lowered their work dramatically. A post-ban survey of 151 native and worldwide NGOs discovered that solely about 14% had been nonetheless working at full capability, in keeping with U.N. Ladies.
U.N. companies have continued working – most vitally to largely preserve the meals lifeline that’s holding tens of millions of Afghans out of hunger. Regardless of the ban, the World Meals Programme supplied meals staples or money transfers for meals to 13 million folks in December and the primary week of January — greater than 1 / 4 of Afghanistan’s inhabitants of some 40 million.
The extent of the ban’s implementation and enforcement is unclear. In some locations, some girls have been in a position to proceed working within the area.
Nonetheless, the influence is already nice, companies say.
The Worldwide Rescue Committee, which has suspended all its operations, estimates that round 165,000 folks missed out on its well being companies between Dec. 24 and Jan. 9. It warned of a rise of loss of life and illness due to the ban and an elevated burden on Afghanistan’s well being system, which it mentioned is “already fragile, near-to-collapse, and NGO-dependent.”
IRC helps greater than 100 well being amenities in 11 provinces, together with 30 cell well being groups, in some instances delivering lifesaving assist to distant areas that had no humanitarian support of any form.
“It’s the one healthcare that some girls have entry to,” mentioned Sayed-Rahman of the cell groups. “Elements of Afghanistan nonetheless don’t have hospitals, clinics or different medical amenities. With every day that passes, the suspension has a huge effect on the quantity of support being delivered.”
IRC additionally helps households displaced by battle and pure catastrophe, offering clear water, tents, money and different requirements. Total, IRC packages helped 6.18 million folks between 2021-2022 — greater than double the quantity within the earlier one-year interval.
Whereas the majority of meals support has continued to move, vital dietary packages have stopped.
Save The Youngsters is among the many companies that fully suspended its actions on Dec. 25. In consequence, tens of 1000’s haven’t obtained dietary assist.
Final month earlier than the ban got here into impact, Save the Youngsters helped practically 30,000 youngsters and practically 32,000 adults with diet, together with offering calorie- and vitamin-packed peanut paste to infants and youngsters and porridge for girls. The halt has additionally interrupted money transfers to five,077 households, who obtained one spherical of cash in December however not one of the additional deliberate rounds – funds they depend on for meals and different provides.
Little one malnutrition numbers are excessive and rising in Afghanistan, with a 50% enhance over the previous 12 months. Round one million youngsters beneath the age of 5 will doubtless face probably the most extreme type of malnutrition this 12 months, in keeping with U.N. figures. Nearly half of Afghanistan’s 41 million individuals are projected to be acutely meals insecure between November 2022 and March 2023, together with greater than 6 million folks getting ready to famine, in keeping with the World Meals Programme.
“Youngsters’s lives (in Afghanistan) are hanging within the stability,” mentioned Keyan Salarkia from Save the Youngsters.
“In the event you don’t get the proper kind of meals within the first 100 days, then that has a knock-on impact for the remainder of your life,” he mentioned. In instances of extreme acute malnutrition, after 10 days “you begin slipping into lack of life,” he mentioned.
Salarkia mentioned the ban will have an effect on virtually everybody in Afghanistan a method or one other. Save the Youngsters was additionally offering courses for youngsters, immunization and baby safety. Its money grants helped households really feel they didn’t should promote their youngsters into marriage or labor. With out that assist, extra youngsters might be married off or pressured to work.
“The ripple results of this might be large, which is why we hope to see it reversed as quickly as doable.”
Salarkia recalled the influence when Save the Youngsters briefly stopped work for safety causes after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The pause solely lasted a few weeks, however employees on cell well being groups mentioned some youngsters that they had seen usually earlier than by no means returned.
“That’s how shortly the scenario modifications,” he mentioned.
You will be redirected back to your article in seconds
ad
Hamas released the last living American hostage Monday, after he spent more than 580 days in captivity inside the Gaza Strip.
Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, will be received by a specialized Israel Defense Forces unit and is going to be brought to an initial reception facility in Re’im, where he will undergo preliminary medical and psychological evaluation by IDF Medical Corps personnel, an Israeli official told Fox News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Donald Trump “is fighting to secure the release of every American detained abroad” and “We won’t stop until this conflict is over and all our hostages are home.”
Trump, who is slated to depart Washington, D.C., on Monday for visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said prior to Alexander’s release that it was “great news.” Israel said its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting Monday with Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Netanyahu then called Trump today and thanked him for his assistance in securing Alexander’s freedom.
HAMAS CLAIMS IT WILL RELEASE AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER
US citizen Edan Alexander was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 (Adi Alexander)
Alexander’s family will await him at the Re’im facility, accompanied by their assigned officer from the Missing Persons and Hostages Headquarters. After the initial reunion, Edan and his family will be airlifted to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv for continued care, the official also told Fox News.
As an IDF soldier, Alexander also will be provided with a comprehensive support framework, including medical, psychological, and logistical assistance, facilitated by military professionals.
Hamas first claimed on Sunday that it would release Alexander.
“As part of the efforts made by the brotherly mediators to achieve a ceasefire, Hamas has been in contact with the U.S. administration in recent days,” the terrorist organization said. “The movement has shown a high level of positivity, and the Israeli soldier with dual American citizenship, [Edan] Alexander, will be released as part of the steps being taken toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings, and the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”
Alexander’s mother Yael said on Thursday that she was feeling “[s]uch sadness and agony not knowing what the fate of your son is.
“I have not been able to sleep. I am stuck in Oct. 7, even though it’s been 580 days. I used to enjoy Mother’s Day so much. We would all go to the city to a special restaurant, and I insisted the kids write me letters on this day. I have not been able to celebrate anything since this nightmare began,” she added.
ISRAELI MINISTER SAYS GAZA WILL BE ‘ENTIRELY DESTROYED,’ PALESTINIANS FORCED INTO OTHER COUNTRIES
Then President-elect Donald Trump is shown photos of Edan Alexander by his mother Yael Alexander at Ohel Chabad Lubavitch on Oct. 07, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF’s Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers.
He was kidnapped on the morning of October 7 – a Saturday when he wasn’t required to remain on base. His mother was visiting from abroad, and like many lone soldiers he had the option to go home for the weekend. He chose to stay, not wanting to leave his fellow soldiers short-staffed on guard duty.
Ayelet Samerano, the mother of hostage Yonatan Samerano, said Monday that the previous day was Mother’s Day, and how “[a]round the world, mothers celebrated with their children.”
Israelis gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander to be released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, on Monday, May 12. (AP/Oded Balilty)
“But for me – and the other mothers of the 59 hostages – it was just another day of nightmare. Yes, I am happy for the Alexander family. They will finally have their son Edan back. I thank President Trump and Steve Witkoff for this progress,” she added. “But President Trump – please don’t stop. This is only the first step. Do whatever is necessary to bring every last one home. The other 58 hostages have no time left. They are in hell. The living could be killed any day. The deceased – their bodies could be lost forever. They must all come home.”
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa and Roberta Metsola flew together on a private plane from Brussels to attend an event in Luxembourg last week, an extraordinary, high-cost decision made due to scheduling constraints between the three presidents, a spokesperson for the Commission said today.
The trio were expected to appear jointly in the city to commemorate Europe Day.
The trip took place on Friday and saw the presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament visit the Robert Schuman house, accompanied by Luxembourgish Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
The rationale for flying rather than driving to Luxembourg – roughly 200 km from Brussels – was mainly prompted by the appearance of Friedrich Merz, the new Chancellor of Germany, in the Belgian capital.
Merz chose Europe Day to make his first visit to Brussels since taking office. He met separately with Costa, von der Leyen and Metsola, in that order, and held press conferences with Costa and von der Leyen, taking questions from journalists.
The bilateral meetings stretched over the entire morning, leaving the three presidents with an extremely tight itinerary to move to Luxembourg City and attend the commemorative event, pencilled for early afternoon, at the same time.
The teams in Brussels then chose to ditch the car option and resort to air charter, the costs of which were shared among the three institutions.
“Due to the scheduling constraints of the three presidents and the prime minister, the only travelling option to allow all of them to attend the commemoration of the Schuman Declaration together and on time was to take a charter flight,” Paula Pinho, the Commission’s chief spokesperson, said on Monday.
“This is the reason why, exceptionally, this was the option taken to get there.”
The offices of Costa and Metsola voiced a similar message.
The event in Luxembourg, hosted at the prime minister’s invitation to mark the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, started in the early afternoon and lasted about two hours. The four leaders visited the house where Robert Schuman, the French politician who delivered the declaration on 9 May 1950, grew up.
Schuman’s proposal to create a new authority to manage the production of coal and steel from France and West Germany paved the way for the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and kick-started the project of European integration.
Luxembourg was one of the six founding members of the ECSC and served as host of the independent High Authority, the precursor of the European Commission. During Friday’s trip, the four leaders also visited the old seat of the High Authority.
Once the event was over, von der Leyen and Costa returned to Brussels using the rented plane while Metsola and her team flew commercial to Cyprus.
Although air flights are frequent for long-distance travel, using the same option for such a short-distance trip is likely to raise eyebrows, given the EU’s commitment to sustainability and the pressure from member states to control expenses.
KARE 11
Indianapolis Housing Agency reveals 12-month action plan
Sheetz named one of America’s most innovative companies
Horst Shewmaker Expands Augusta Services: Expert Auto Accident Attorney Support for Victims
Renovations begin on DC's Roosevelt Bridge
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoWho is Gregory Moore? Former divorce attorney charged for murder of Aliza Sherman in downtown Cleveland
-
News1 week agoFamily statement: Rodney Hinton Jr. walked out of body camera footage meeting with CPD prior to officer death
-
Politics1 week agoTrump posts AI image of himself as Pope amid Vatican's search for new pontiff
-
Politics1 week agoRep. Mikie Sherrill suggests third Trump impeachment as she campaigns to be next New Jersey governor
-
World1 week ago‘Don’t see a major war with India, but have to be ready’: Pakistan ex-NSA
-
News1 week agoAre Politicians Too Old? California Democrats Want to Debate an Age Cap.
-
News1 week agoFather Whose Son Was Shot by Cincinnati Police Hits Deputy With Car, Killing Him
-
News1 week agoFederal judge strikes down Trump order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie