UNITED NATIONS, United States, Dec 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations has partially resumed work on Afghanistan's border with Iran, after a recent suspension due to Taliban government restrictions on female Afghan workers, a senior UN official said Wednesday.

The Taliban authorities in late October prohibited "almost all" Afghan women from working at the Islam Qala migrant reception center, the main crossing point for Afghans expelled by Iran.

Of the more than 1.2 million Afghans who have crossed through Islam Qala from Iran this year, more than 60 percent are women and children, the UN has said.

"We have secured the resumption of work for a small number of female health staff, and limited life-saving health services have been restored, but other operations remain temporarily suspended," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council on Wednesday.

He urged the Taliban authorities to lift restrictions on Afghan women working for the world body.

In 2022, the Taliban banned non-governmental organizations from employing Afghan women, extending the measure to UN agencies in 2023.

In September, the Afghan authorities began prohibiting women staff members from entering UN offices.

While women were still allowed to work in certain sectors or remotely, all Afghan UN employees have recently been required to work from home.

"The absence of women from the workplace serves as yet another tragic reminder of the unacceptable restrictions Afghan women continue to face," Fletcher said.

He also highlighted the dire effect of massive cuts to humanitarian aid worldwide and their profound impact on Afghanistan.

"Underfunding has forced service closures, and resulted in scaled-back assistance to millions. Ultimately it costs lives," Fletcher said.

This winter, for the first time in years, Afghanistan will see virtually no international food aid distribution, with the closure of more than 300 nutritional aid sites.

"With 3.7 million children in need of nutrition assistance, including 1.7 million at risk of death if not treated, the results will be catastrophic," he warned.