The Facts
In a report published on Tuesday, the UN claimed that some of its female staff members had been detained, harassed, and had restrictions placed on their movements since being banned by the Taliban from working for the world body last month.
In the report, the UN alleged that Afghanistan's Taliban government was committing "a series of discriminatory – and unlawful – measures... with the goal of severely restricting women and girls’ participation in most areas of public and daily life.”
The Spin
Narrative A
The UN is doing all it can to aid the people of Afghanistan, but the Taliban is continuously making the mission harder, seeking to force the organization to choose between staying to help the Afghan people and upholding its own principles. Any negative consequences emerging from this crisis will be the responsibility of the Taliban-appointed authorities.
Narrative B
It's certain that the situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating, but this crisis will only worsen if the UN decides to pull out of the country. The only way forward is to move beyond the International community's current reactive approach and, instead, restore an active diplomatic presence in the nation to negotiate with Taliban representatives and find solutions.
