KABUL — Several female employees of the UN agencies in Afghanistan have been forced to work from home after receiving direct threats and facing restrictions from Taliban-affiliated individuals, sources familiar with the matter told Amu on Friday.
According to the sources, the threats have included surveillance, pressure on family members, and written warnings urging women to cease reporting to their offices. Most of the cases reportedly involve employees of the U.N. Assistance Mission’s political and reconstruction wing, known as UNAMA or UNOCA.
The measures have prompted some U.N. officials in western Herat province to advise their female staff to remain at home until further notice, according to staff members based in the region.
In recent days, armed Taliban members have imposed new restrictions and issued direct threats against women working with the U.N. in Kabul, multiple sources said. In at least three documented cases, Taliban members reportedly visited the homes of women working for the organization and pressured their families to formally commit that the women would no longer attend work.
Some of the women were followed, while others received written threats, the sources said. It remains unclear how many departments within the U.N. have been affected, but one source confirmed that a significant number of the women targeted work in UNOCA’s political affairs and reconstruction units.
“These kinds of threats are a clear intrusion into the private lives of women,” said a Kabul resident speaking on condition of anonymity. “This is exhausting and humiliating. If the Taliban want to govern, they should focus on security—not telling women whether they can work or study.”
In Herat, sources confirmed that following the incidents in Kabul, women working in U.N. offices were told not to report to physical worksites for the time being.
Responding to Amu’s query, UNAMA spokesperson confirmed threats to women employees in Kabul.
“In recent days, several United Nations female national staff members in the Afghan capital Kabul were subjected to threats by unidentified individuals related to their work with the UN,” the spokesperson said. “The matter has been raised with the de facto authorities, who have said they are investigating these incidents.”
UNAMA spokesperson said that “in the light of these extremely serious threats, UN agencies, funds, and programmes in Afghanistan have made interim operational adjustments to ensure the safety and security of staff members, while continuing to strive to work in support of the people of Afghanistan.”
Taliban have not commented on the matter.
“We are tired of constantly changing directives,” said a woman in Kabul. “More rules, more restrictions—it’s becoming impossible. Many of us are the only breadwinners for our families. How are we supposed to survive?”
The escalation follows an earlier incident in February, when a Taliban security official opened fire outside the UNOCA compound in Kabul, wounding a U.N. security guard, according to previous U.N. statements.
UNOCA, located in eastern Kabul, houses the largest U.N. complex in the country and includes multiple U.N. agencies.
Since August 2021, women have faced increasing restrictions on employment, education, and movement. The United Nations has repeatedly raised concerns over these limitations, but conditions appear to be deteriorating rather than improving.
