Taliban forbids UN staff in Herat to work without beards
Kyiv • UNN
In the city of Herat, the Taliban have banned male UN staff from shaving, threatening them with imprisonment. This comes amid growing restrictions on humanitarian missions in Afghanistan, where the number of violations has increased by 56%.
The Taliban has banned male UN employees in Herat from shaving, requiring them to wear beards under threat of imprisonment, UNN reports citing Amu TV.
Details
In the city of Herat, the Taliban's Virtues and Vices Department has ordered male United Nations staff to wear beards. According to UN sources, on Saturday, February 8, Taliban representatives visited the Islam Qala Center and warned that shaving or trimming beards could lead to imprisonment.
This requirement follows previous bans on beard trimming for government employees and academics, reflecting the Taliban's desire to enforce strict social norms,
The new restrictions were introduced amid growing obstacles to humanitarian missions in Afghanistan. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 164 cases of access restrictions were recorded in November 2024, which is 56% more than in October and 11% more than in the same period in 2022.
According to the report, 99% of these cases are attributed to the Taliban, with the highest number of violations recorded in the Southern, Central Highlands, Western, and Central regions. This has significantly hampered the provision of humanitarian assistance, leading to the temporary suspension of 72 projects, the permanent suspension of two initiatives, and the closure of one facility.
Recall
Afghan Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a directive prohibiting windows in residential buildings that face neighboring houses, especially those where women live.
