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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

UK should restore diplomatic presence to help Afghan women, says aid chief

United Kingdom Taliban NGOs Afghanistan United Nations ICAI
Afghan women protest to demand their right to education and work in Mazar-e-Sharif last August.
Afghan women protest to demand their right to education and work in Mazar-e-Sharif last August. Photograph: EPA

The UK should consider restoring its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to support Afghan women and to help monitor the impact of British aid, a commissioner for the official UK aid watchdog has suggested.

Hugh Bayley, who visited Kabul in May, said he believed Afghan women and NGOs would welcome more western diplomats to represent the opinions of women to the Taliban as he released a report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) on the effectiveness of the UK programme, which is the second largest operated by Britain.

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