Major foreign aid groups suspend work in Afghanistan

At least half a dozen major foreign aid groups have said they are temporarily suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred female employees of non-governmental organizations from coming to work.

“Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programms, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan,” aid organizations Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International said in a joint statement Sunday.

The Taliban is warning U.S. officials against interfering in what they’re calling Afghanistan's “internal issues.”

The message came from a Taliban spokesperson, who tweeted Sunday, saying no one will be allowed to speak out under the title of humanitarian aid.

Following a tweet from U.S. charge d’Affairs, Karen Decker, on Sunday, questioning how the Taliban administration intends to prevent the starvation of women and children.

Other officials spoke out on Saturday, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan, Thomas West, who called the order “profoundly irresponsible.”