UNAMA's Crucial Services Halted at Islam Qala Amid Staff Restrictions

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan suspended services at Islam Qala border due to restrictions on female staff. Majority returnees, women and children, face challenges without female staff. Deportees and activists urge immediate aid resumption, as 1.2 million Afghans returned from Iran recently.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has halted its operations for migrants at the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province, citing restrictions placed on its female staff, according to a report by Tolo News. This suspension affects crucial services for the returning many women and children migrants, who comprise the majority crossing at this point.

According to a statement from the UN, over 60% of returnees arriving at Islam Qala are women and children, with 30% of families headed by women. The absence of female staff hinders the ability to offer services with dignity and respect. Meanwhile, deportees from Iran express desperate need for support, warning against politicizing humanitarian aid.

Voices from the displaced highlight the urgent need for action. Abdul Rasul, a deportee, remarked on the lack of assistance, noting the looming winter worsening the migrants' plight. Another returnee, Mohammad Reza, shared frustration over unfulfilled assistance promises stretching back months.

Citizens and activists call for an end to aid suspension, arguing that the returnees, particularly from Iran, require immediate and apolitical support. Seyed Ashraf Sadat, a civil society advocate, emphasized the role of aid agencies in easing returnees' initial adjustment. In recent times, Islam Qala has processed around 1.2 million Afghan migrants from Iran.

(With inputs from agencies.)