Taliban’s Treatment of Women Is Concerning, Says Washington

Vedant Patel, US State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson told the Afghanistan International reporter on Monday, that the Taliban’s treatment of women is a cause of concern for the United States.

Additionally, Patel also stated that the US has implemented measures to prevent the Taliban from accessing humanitarian aid.

On Monday, UNAMA reported that the Taliban "detained women and girls, predominately from Hazara-dominated areas in Dashte Barchi in western Kabul, and also some from Khair Khana area of Kabul, where most residents are Tajiks”.

The Taliban says that these girls were detained for non-compliance with the group's mandated hijab, and they accused the UNAMA of labelling Islamic rules as violations of human rights and insulting the beliefs of a nation in their report.

Patel once again emphasised that the Taliban is seeking recognition while their actions are unacceptable for the United States.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday to condemn the massacre of Hazaras in Afghanistan. They urged the US and other countries that the aid should be contingent upon an improvement in the human rights situation in the country. They emphasised on their concerns that the Taliban is benefiting from these aid contributions.

However, Patel told Afghanistan International reporter, Marzia Hosseini that US has tried to prevent humanitarian aid and American taxpayers' money from ending up in the hand of the Taliban.

He said, “We work closely with trusted NGOs and other entities who we’ve had long-established relationships with, and there are measures and vetting and other processes in place to ensure that the hard-earned money from the American taxpayer does not end up in the hands of the Taliban.”

The United Nations has also clarified that the funds contributed by the global community to the organization are securely held in its accounts, with no access granted to the Taliban.

However, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has said that the Taliban has access to international aid in various ways, including the establishment of aid agencies.

This office has also accused the Taliban of interfering in aid delivery and misusing projects for their own benefit.