Norwegian Refugee Council Suspends Operations in Afghanistan and 20 Other Countries

In a statement released on Monday (February 10), the council emphasized that it had never been forced to make such a decision throughout its history of operations.

According to the statement, the organization's staff in Afghanistan have been compelled to halt assistance to women, girls, and families who are still enduring the consequences of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

The Norwegian Refugee Council welcomed the exemption of suspended U.S. aid for some life-saving programs but stated that the council itself is not included in this exemption. The organization has called for the resumption of U.S. financial assistance.

This comes as Jan Egeland, the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, had previously traveled to Afghanistan and warned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.