UN says Afghanistan's Taliban govt releases 2 detained staff

The two men were arrested on August 9 in the western province of Herat, with no reason given by Afghan officials for their detention.

"Two national staff members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), who were detained by the de facto authorities in Herat more than a week ago, were released this morning," a UNAMA spokesman told AFP.

"The colleagues appear to be in good health, and we understand that the charges against them have been dropped," he added.

Multiple UN agencies operate across Afghanistan in a host of areas including health and humanitarian response.

The country has been hit hard by international aid cuts and faces numerous challenges, including the arrival of millions of its citizens from Iran and Pakistan in recent years.

The UNAMA spokesman called for "respect for the privileges and immunities of the United Nations", as well as the safety and freedom of movement for staff nationwide.

Afghanistan has been governed for five years by the Taliban authorities, which rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Afghan women are banned from UN premises, including those who are staff, as well as a host of other places.

The morality police arrested about 20 aid workers were arrested in June in Herat province near the Iran border because their beards were not long enough.

They included staff working for organisations that partner with the UN, according to an internal memo seen by AFP, and were subsequently released.