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The United Nations Security Council has expressed grave concern over the Taliban's ban on female aid workers in Afghanistan.
Council members insist the ban is exacerbating the country's already dire humanitarian crisis.
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KIMIHIRO ISHIKANE, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations:
Women are central and critical to operations to relieve the dire humanitarian situation.
They have unique expertise and access to populations their male colleagues cannot reach providing critical life-saving support to women and girls.
We reiterate the council's demand all parties (to) allow full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors regardless of gender.
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Members of the Security Council discussed the issue in a closed-door meeting on Friday.
That's where America's U.N. ambassador pushed for a resolution demanding the Taliban scrap all bans on women.
They include a restriction imposed last month that prevents women and girls from attending universities and high schools.
The United Nations says 97 percent of Afghans are now living in poverty.
U.N. delegates have blasted the ban as a "broken promise".
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