Jan Egeland Calls for Return of Foreign Diplomats to Afghanistan to Support Women's Rights and Girls' Education

Mr. Egeland stated that aid groups in Afghanistan are facing budget shortages and are under significant pressure.

Hugh Bailey, the head of an organization overseeing British government aid, also recently stated that the UK needs a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to support women and girls and to monitor the effectiveness of its aid.

In response to these statements, Jan Egeland wrote on his X account: "The UK and other global donors should return their diplomats to Kabul to work with us in securing women's rights, girls' education, and protecting minorities."

He added that "NATO abandoned 40 million Afghan civilians in 2021, and now aid groups are very alone in providing assistance, facing budget shortages, and are under significant pressure."

Martin Hartberg, the director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, also welcomed the UK humanitarian aid assessment report in a statement and called for continued UK aid to support and develop women's and girls' initiatives in Afghanistan.

Hartberg's statement also mentioned that small businesses led by women face challenges in finding skilled labor and accessing financial services such as loans and investments.

It should be noted that with the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Western diplomats left the country.

Since then, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls.