A new UN report is the first official confirmation of death threats against Afghan women working in the humanitarian sector

The Taliban are investigating explicit death threats against dozens of Afghan women working for the United Nations, according to a report published on Sunday.

In its latest update on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, the UN mission to the country said that dozens of female national staff were subjected to explicit death threats in May.

The threats came from unidentified individuals related to their work with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, other agencies, funds, and programmes, “requiring the UN to implement interim measures to protect their safety”, according to the report.

It said that the Taliban told the UN mission that their personnel were not responsible for the threats. An Interior Ministry investigation is underway, the report said.