The head of a U.K. aid watchdog has suggested that Britain restore its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan to support women and monitor the impact of British assistance in the country, where 24 million people require humanitarian aid.
Hugh Bayley, who visited Kabul in May, was cited by The Guardian as saying that Afghan women and NGOs would welcome more Western diplomats to advocate for women’s rights to the Taliban.
Bayley, the commissioner of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), released a report on the effectiveness of the U.K.’s aid program in Afghanistan, which is the second-largest operated by Britain. Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the U.K. has suspended its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.
Bayley emphasized the benefits of a British presence, as highlighted by NGOs, in addition to the regular visits to Kabul by the U.K. mission in Doha. “The U.K.’s £150 million program in Afghanistan is currently our second biggest bilateral program anywhere in the world, second only to Ukraine, and ICAI’s view is that if you are dispensing that amount of British taxpayers’ money, you need eyes on the ground to see how it has been spent,” he said.
He argued that without a presence on the ground and engagement with both Afghan civil society and the Taliban, Western aid efforts would be less effective. Despite the U.K. government’s target for 50 percent of its aid to reach women, Bayley pointed out that it is impossible to determine if this goal is being met without direct observation.
“If we do not engage with Afghan citizens, including the Taliban, we will burn one bridge after another,” he warned. Bayley expressed concerns over the restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan, noting that while women are significant beneficiaries of aid, the country could be “heading for a catastrophe” due to the declining number of trained midwives, a consequence of the Taliban’s gender restrictions.
Bayley praised Afghan women in local NGOs for “actively and bravely resisting and pushing back against the Taliban in meetings.” He also revealed that many hospital counselors are reporting deep distress among school-aged girls, with some cases bordering on suicidal ideation.
Since taking over Afghanistan, Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women, curtailing their access to education, work, and other basic needs.
