Afghanistan’s Taliban lifts ban on WHO activities – spokesman

Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency has lifted a ban on World Health Organization (WHO) activities in areas under the militants’ control, a spokesman for the Islamist group said. The move reverses its previous stance which had been complicating efforts to eradicate polio.

The Taliban banned the WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross in April, citing their “suspicious activities” during vaccination campaigns, which threatened to deepen one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, Reuters said.

The health arm of the UN has been carrying out a vaccination campaign in Afghanistan, one of just three countries where polio is still endemic.

“After realizing its shortcomings and following constant contact and meetings with our representatives, the WHO received permission for their activities,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said. In a statement, the Taliban gave a guarantee of safety for WHO staff but also set conditions for its return, including that it only carries out health work and that it gets the insurgency’s permission before hiring workers.