UN expresses sadness over potential Afghanistan withdrawal.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is negotiating with the Afghan government to allow local women to work for the organization, as the Taliban have barred them from doing so. The UNDP has reaffirmed its commitment to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan, but will reduce its presence in May if the Taliban do not relent. The Taliban have allowed Afghan women to engage in some work, but the UNDP says the country desperately needs more women working, with its economy flailing. The Taliban takeover has been accompanied by some very modest signs of economic recovery, but gross domestic product is expected to be outstripped by population growth, meaning that per capita income will decline.