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Without female staff, we cannot provide aid to Afghans in need: Egeland

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Following the restrictions on barring women from working at NGOs, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council says that the presence of female employees is necessary to help needy families in Afghanistan, and without them, all the activities of this council have stopped.

In a meeting with the minister of Repatriation and Refugees (MoRR) on Sunday, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said that without the presence of women, they cannot resume vital aid operations in Afghanistan.

According to him, in the last six months, 850,000 Afghans have been helped, and currently, 469 female employees are needed to help another 700,000 people.

“Without our female colleagues, we cannot work; we will not work,” said Egeland.

“We are not able to provide for the women of Afghanistan, but we would also not be a principled employer if we agreed to this,” he added.

“We are not giving aid to the hundreds of thousands of people we serve here in Afghanistan.”

In the meantime, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, MoRR’s spokesman, said that efforts are underway to create a Sharia framework for women's education and work, and humanitarian aid should not be conditional, and foreigners should not make hasty decisions about Afghanistan.

“In this case, discussions are going on and our effort is to adopt a Sharia solution to remove the ban on women's education in universities and their work in foreign and government institutions,” he said.

At the same time, the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also met with Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, minister of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for the immediate cancellation of the ban on women's work and education.

Markus Potzel has said that the current situation is worrying for the aid organizations and that the working conditions of women in the organizations should be provided for the sake of saving the people of Afghanistan.

Previously, the head of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had warned that if the restrictions on women's work in NGOs are not lifted, the institutions supported by this organization will not be able to continue humanitarian and assistance programs in Afghanistan.

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Trump to pull nearly 1,660 Afghan refugees from flights, US official reports

The US decision also leaves in limbo thousands of other Afghans who have been approved for resettlement as refugees in the US but have not yet been assigned flights

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Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the US government to resettle in the US, including family members of active-duty US military personnel, are having their flights canceled under President Donald Trump's order suspending US refugee programs, a US official and a leading refugee resettlement advocate told Reuters on Monday.

The group includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the US as well as Afghans who fought for the former US-backed Afghan government, said Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of US veterans and advocacy groups and the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The US decision also leaves in limbo thousands of other Afghans who have been approved for resettlement as refugees in the US but have not yet been assigned flights from Afghanistan or from neighboring Pakistan, they said.

Trump made an immigration crackdown a major promise of his victorious 2024 election campaign, leaving the fate of US refugee programs up in the air.

The White House and the State Department, which oversees US refugee programs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"Afghans and advocates are panicking," said VanDiver. "I've had to recharge my phone four times already today because so many are calling me.

"We warned them that this was going to happen, but they did it anyway. We hope they will reconsider," he said of contacts with Trump's transition team.

VanDiver's organization is the main coalition that has been working with the US government to evacuate and resettle Afghans in America. 

One of the dozens of executive orders Trump is expected to sign after being sworn in for a second term on Monday suspended US refugee programs for at least four months.

The new White House website said that Trump "is suspending refugee resettlement, after communities were forced to house large and unsustainable populations of migrants, straining community safety and resources."

"We know this means that unaccompanied children, (Afghan) partner forces who trained, fought and died or were injured alongside our troops, and families of active-duty U.S. service members are going to be stuck," said VanDiver.

VanDiver and the U.S. official said that the Afghans approved to resettle as refugees in the US were being removed from the manifests of flights they were due to take from Kabul between now and April, Reuters reported.

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International reaction to Trump’s inauguration

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT : “President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority.”

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The following is reaction from global leaders to Donald Trump being sworn in as U.S. president on Monday.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT

"President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority."

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER

"I believe that working together again we will raise the U.S.-Israel alliance to even greater heights."

"On behalf of the people of Israel, I also want to thank you for your efforts in helping free Israeli hostages.

"I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel."

TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY

"Since Mr. Trump repeatedly said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war, we as Turkey will do whatever necessary in this regard. We need to resolve this issue as soon as possible. This issue will be on our agenda with our talks with Mr. Trump, and we would take our steps accordingly. I wish Mr. Trump's second term would bring good for all humanity."

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR

"Today President Donald Trump takes office. Congratulations! The U.S. is our closest ally and the aim of our policy is always a good transatlantic relationship. The EU, with 27 members and more than 400 million people, is a strong union."

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER

"Congratulations, President Trump. Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful economic partnership. We have the chance to work together again — to create more jobs and prosperity for both our nations."

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

"For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership ... Together, we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity."

"With President Trump's longstanding affection and historical ties to the United Kingdom, I know that depth of friendship will continue."

GIORGIA MELONI, PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY

"I am certain that the friendship between our nations and the values that unite us will continue to strengthen the cooperation between Italy and the USA ... Italy will always be committed to consolidating the dialogue between the United States and Europe, as an essential pillar for the stability and growth of our communities."

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT

"Best wishes President @realDonaldTrump, for your tenure as 47th President of the United States. The EU looks forward to working closely with you to tackle global challenges. Together, our societies can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their common security. This is the enduring strength of the transatlantic partnership."

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL

"With President Trump back in office we will turbo-charge defence spending & production. My warm congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his inauguration as 47th President of the USA, and to @JDVance as Vice President. Together we can achieve peace through strength - through @NATO."

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL

"On behalf of the Brazilian government, I congratulate President Donald Trump on his inauguration. Relations between Brazil and the USA are marked by a history of cooperation, based on mutual respect and a historic friendship. Our countries have strong ties in various areas, such as trade, science, education and culture. I am sure that we can continue to make progress in these and other partnerships."

CHARLES, BRITAIN’S KING:

The king has sent a personal message of congratulations to President Trump on his inauguration, reflecting on the enduring special relationship between the UK and U.S., according to Buckingham Palace.

ULF KRISTERSSON, PRIME MINISTER OF SWEDEN

"Warm congratulations @realDonaldTrump on being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Sweden looks forward to continued close cooperation with the U.S."

ALEXANDER STUBB, PRESIDENT OF FINLAND

"I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you @realDonaldTrump as you assume office as the President of the United States. The U.S. is our key strategic partner and ally. I look forward to close cooperation during your term."

JONAS GAHR STOERE, PRIME MINISTER OF NORWAY

"I congratulate President Donald Trump. The United States is Norway's most important ally, and there are strong ties between our two nations. I look forward to a good working relationship with President Trump and his new administration," Stoere said in a statement."

HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI:

"We are happy with the departure of Biden, who has the blood of Palestinians on his hand. We hope for the end of this dark era that harmed the U.S. before anyone and that Trump can build his policies on balanced foundations that can cut the road against Netanyahu's evils that want to drown the region and the world."

SYRIA'S DE FACTO LEADER AHMED AHMED AL-SHARAA

"The past decade has brought immense suffering to Syria, with the conflict devastating our nation and destabilizing the region. We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region".

TAIWAN PRESIDENT LAI CHING-TE

"The United States is an important security, economic, and trade partner of Taiwan, and a strong ally that shares the values of democracy and freedom. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the new President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance."

CUBAN PRESIDENT MIQUEL DIAZ-CANEL

U.S. President Donald Trump's action of putting the Caribbean nation back on the U.S.' state sponsors of terrorism list was "an act of arrogance and disregard for the truth."

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHIGERU ISHIBA

"I listened to President Trump's inaugural speech, and I felt that it was 'Make America Great Again' itself. Traditionally, inaugural speech by presidents have been more about setting a tone...I felt very much that it sounded like a continuation of what Mr Trump had been saying throughout his campaign. President Trump prioritises bilateral negoatiations over multilateral frameworks, so we will focus on how to leverage the national interests of both countries to contribute to world peace and the global economy. We aim to establish a trusting relationship through substantial discussions."

AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE

"I congratulate President Trump on his inauguration, it is a significant achievement to be elected President of the United States of America, not once but twice now, and I look forward to having a constructive engagement with him."

SOUTH KOREA'S ACTING PRESIDENT CHOI SANG-MOK

"The government will strive to further strengthen policy cooperation with the United States and promote mutual interests based on the shared value of the Korea-U.S. alliance," Choi said, citing the alliance's slogan of "We Go Together".

HONG KONG LEADER JOHN LEE

Hopes for full efforts with U.S. President Donald Trump to promote positive relations between Washington and the Chinese-ruled city, although "we will always be prepared for the worst".

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Afghanistan, China mark 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations

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The 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and China was marked in Kabul on Monday.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, political deputy foreign minister, said at a ceremony that China-Afghanistan relations have expanded since the Islamic Emirate came to power three years ago and the Islamic Emirate is committed to further developing these relations.

Referring to nationwide security in Afghanistan, he urged Chinese businessmen to invest in the country with full confidence.

"We assure our Chinese friends that our Chinese friends and China will never be threatened from Afghanistan soil," Stanikzai said. “We will provide a safe environment for Chinese representatives and citizens in Afghanistan.”

He also called on neighboring countries not to allow their territory to be used against Afghanistan's security and they should not interfere in the country's internal affairs.

Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xeng, said at the ceremony that his country supports Afghanistan's independent and self-reliant development with concrete measures, taking into account "the policy of friendship, mutual interest and inclusiveness."

Zhao added that there is great potential for practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

"I hope the friendship between China and Afghanistan will remain as stable as the deep color of lapis lazuli," he said. “I hope the people of the two countries remain united like pomegranate seeds. I hope the future of our countries will be as colorful as the saffron blossoms.”

Afghanistan and China established diplomatic relations in 1955.

China was the first country to officially appoint an ambassador to Afghanistan after the Islamic Emirate came to power in 2021.

In addition, China was the first country to accept the credentials of the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate.

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