The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain has condemned the Taliban’s ban on women working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and urged the group to immediately reverse what it called an “unjustified decision”.

The ministry stressed that the Taliban’s decision violates the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 2615 and prevents the flow of humanitarian aid to Afghans.

The ban order came in a letter on December 24 from Taliban’s Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif. Abdel Rahman Habib, spokesman for the Taliban's ministry of economy, accused female workers at the foreign aid groups of breaking dress codes by not wearing hijabs. It said any organization found not complying with the order will have their license revoked in Afghanistan. The Economy Ministry’s order comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.

In fact, four international aid groups have announced suspension of their programmes in the country. The aid groups include the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE.

They all mentioned that their ability to deliver humanitarian services rely on female staff at all levels.