Aid groups say they have been "pushed against a wall" by the Taliban prohibiting Afghan women from working for NGOs, a ban that has left a dangerous gap in life-saving support.

Afghanistan's NGOs have been instrumental in trying to address one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with half the country's population hungry and three million children at risk of malnutrition.

The IRC is one of several NGOs -- along with CARE and Save the Children -- that have suspended operations while they urge the Taliban to revoke the ban.