UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that widespread restrictions on women in Afghanistan have severely limited the ability of aid agencies to provide assistance to those in need and deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Adam Wosornow, Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the UN Security Council on Monday that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on urgent assistance to meet their basic needs.

He stressed that restrictions on women, especially the ban on female aid workers, have seriously hampered access to vulnerable families. He said that women aid workers play a key role in delivering services to women and girls, and their exclusion from the aid process deprives a large part of the needy of essential support.

Referring to the deteriorating livelihood situation of the Afghan people, Wasorno said that 4.7 million people are facing severe food insecurity and about 3.7 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
He added that economic and humanitarian pressures have increased in some areas to the point that some families have resorted to desperate measures, including selling their children, to make ends meet.

The UN official also considered the return of hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries as another factor exacerbating the crisis, saying that more than 736,000 people, mainly from Pakistan, have returned to Afghanistan this year alone, putting additional pressure on host communities and the country's limited resources.
OCHA also warned of a severe funding shortfall to address the humanitarian crisis, saying that only 15 percent of the $1.71 billion needed for Afghanistan's humanitarian programs has been provided so far.

Vasoreno called on the international community and members of the Security Council to prevent the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan from worsening by providing more financial support and ensuring free access for aid workers to those in need.

Reporter Shahbanu Noori