Funding cuts in Afghanistan pose a grave threat to the well-being of the country’s women, emphasized Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. Egeland, who has been deeply involved in aid efforts in Afghanistan, highlighted the disproportionate impact of reduced financial support on women and girls in the war-torn nation.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, a key player in providing assistance to the Afghan population, witnessed a significant decrease in the number of people it was able to aid over the past year. In 2022, the organization supported 772,484 individuals, but this number plummeted to 491,435 in 2023. Notably, half of the beneficiaries of the NRC’s programs are women, underscoring the critical role these initiatives play in supporting Afghan women’s livelihoods.
Egeland expressed concern over the trend of peer organizations scaling back their operations in Afghanistan due to funding constraints. He stressed that the primary threat to programs aimed at assisting Afghan women stems from financial cuts, which have far-reaching consequences for the future prospects of women in the country, particularly in terms of education.
The dire situation in Afghanistan was exacerbated by the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, leading to a swift decline in economic stability and access to essential services as foreign aid dwindled. Sanctions imposed on the Taliban regime, restrictions on financial transactions, and the freezing of Afghanistan’s currency reserves further isolated the country from global aid networks, exacerbating the challenges faced by its population.
Despite these obstacles, organizations like the Norwegian Refugee Council have been working tirelessly to sustain public services, including vital health care and education programs. However, women and girls continue to encounter barriers to accessing these services due to restrictions imposed by the authorities and a shortage of female medical professionals, compounded by the Taliban’s policies.
Egeland’s interactions with Taliban officials during his visits to Afghanistan have centered around the urgent need to prioritize education for women and girls. Despite assurances from the Taliban that steps would be taken to facilitate the resumption of classes, challenges persist in creating an enabling environment for educational opportunities for Afghan women and girls.
The international community has been urged to maintain its support for Afghanistan in the face of deepening humanitarian crises and funding shortages. Egeland emphasized the importance of upholding commitments to education and human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups such as widows and single mothers who rely on aid programs for their livelihoods.
As the situation in Afghanistan remains precarious, with ongoing challenges hindering progress in key areas like education and health care, Egeland’s advocacy for sustained funding and support for aid programs underscores the critical role of international solidarity in addressing the pressing needs of the Afghan population, especially women and girls who are disproportionately affected by the crisis.
