The Taliban again bans Afghan women aid workers. Here's how the U.N. responded

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees workers prepare to distribute non-food items to women at UNHCR office in Kandahar on March 8, 2022. The Taliban has demanded that Afghan women no longer work for the UN or NGOs. (Javed Tanveer/AFP via Getty Images)

On April 11, the United Nations instructed its national staff in Afghanistan — more than 3,000 men and women — to not report to offices "for their own safety, especially for our female staff," according to spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. About 400 Afghan women work for the U.N.

The decision came after the Taliban authorities told U.N. officials in early April that no Afghan woman would be permitted to work for the U.N. in Afghanistan "with immediate effect."