Afghanistan +++ Ban on women working: Welthungerhilfe suspends work for the time being +++

In December 2022, the Afghan government banned women from working for local and international aid organizations. Welthungerhilfe, together with other international organizations, is protesting vehemently against this ban. "Without our female colleagues, we can no longer adequately provide for the women and girls in the country," says Mathias Mogge, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe. Therefore, Welthungerhilfe's work will be suspended for the time being. Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries. The economy is dependent in large part on international aid. Decades of civil war and terror have destroyed large amounts of infrastructure and have had a massive impact on the country's economy. In August 2021, the Taliban overthrew the government and regained power. The number of hungry people is expected to continue to rise as a result of the ongoing fighting. Already, the majority of the approximately 32 million inhabitants in Afghanistan live in poverty and do not have enough to eat. But also other basic needs such as medical care and education are not secure for the majority of the population. Rural areas especially face great challenges to self-sustaining growth: a lack of infrastructure, an exclusively agricultural economy and a literacy rate of only 10%.