UN Says Taliban Interference In Humanitarian Aid Has Increased

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 164 aid disruptions were recorded in Afghanistan in November this year, an increase of 56 percent compared to the previous month.

OCHA added that 99 percent of these interventions were implemented by Taliban officials.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) on Wednesday (December 18) released a new report on barriers to humanitarian access in Afghanistan in November.

Access restrictions have led to the temporary suspension of 72 humanitarian projects and the permanent closure of two projects, the report said. According to the report, a humanitarian centre has also been temporarily closed during this period.

OCHA added that these incidents occurred mostly in the southern, central and western regions. Statistics show that these cases increased by 56% compared to the previous month and by 11% compared to the same time in 2023.

According to the report, during this period, cases such as planned intervention, requests for a list of employees and sensitive information, interference in the recruitment process, restrictions on the coverage of female employees, and preventing women from accessing services were recorded.

The report also shows that violence against humanitarian personnel, property and facilities increased by 37%, with six staff members arrested, two cases of physical violence and four cases of threats reported last month.

The UN added that these restrictions have been reported as an obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Previously, there were reports of the Taliban's interference in the affairs of the United Nations humanitarian aid.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) previously announced that the Taliban had detained 113 employees of the organisation until mid-2023.