Amu: More than 240 humanitarian projects in Afghanistan were suspended in the first half of this year because of Taliban interference, gender restrictions and administrative obstacles, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report, warning that relief efforts for millions of Afghans risk collapsing altogether. OCHA said 245 aid activities were halted between January and June, mostly in central, southern and western Afghanistan. The suspensions followed 489 reported access incidents, ranging from the detention of aid workers to restrictions on women’s employment. Taliban authorities were responsible for nearly three-quarters of the incidents, the report said, citing interference in staff recruitment, demands for sensitive data, and limits on who could receive aid. Gender-based restrictions accounted for another 19 percent, including bans on women staff members traveling or working even when accompanied by male relatives. Click here to read more (external link).