ah ah ah ah, you're watching the w news live from berlin, 38 groups say they're suspending operations in afghanistan. the move comes after the tone leave on orders all and geo is to stop employing women. we talk to one of those groups about this latest attack on women's rights. also coming up on the show, president vladimir zalinski tells ukrainians that tears will give way to hope,

even as a russian attack takes more lives in the liberated city of her son. and in germany, as president, uses his match, his address to address concerns about the war, along with hopes for what he calls the 1st generation in a climate from the world. ah . hello, i'm clear, richardson, thanks so much for joining us. 3 major aid groups have suspended their operations in afghanistan, saying they can't work without their female staff. it follows an order by the taliban government telling all humanitarian organizations to stop employing women. he, when secretary general antonio could cherish, has called the latest ban, deeply disturbing the taliban are trying to release them from public. i fighting back,

not lifting the taliban crush. a dream in this ali zoom in protesting for the right to university education were dispersed with what again you know, you need not getting any weapons that taliban forced us to come to the street and then they used more to cannons on us. we all got drenched, and many goths fell down there scared of her voices and don't have any other weapons. we want our rights, wasn't it? doesn't it on the taliban? a thought on women's rights. she was no sign of stopping women humana didn't book of a desperate he needed in poverty stricken afghanistan. now they're being told to stay home. the u. n. has gone against him eating the minstrel in the humanitarian victory. effective you measuring assistance relies on meaningful participation,

as they stated. and we cannot overstate the importance of their capacities in sight and ability to reach women and girls across the country. despite wild bite condemnation, that taliban are not going down to the pressure and at closing dose to any meaningful engagement. tape mala mala is vice, president of humanitarian affairs at the international aid group care. and when i spoke to her earlier, i asked her what the tally ones decision means for her organization. thank you for the question claire. and before i answer that, i just want us to remind ourselves of the context that we are talking about. we are talking about understand where at least half of the population does not have enough food to eat. 6000000 people are just one step away from famine, hundreds and thousands of children are facing severe. acute malnutrition, many of them had to flee their homes because of security drought multiple times.

they're sleeping in the open in makeshift dense. so we're talking about hunger. we're talking about freezing, whether we're talking about economic losses, and when that dis, decision comes way. humanitarians are not humanitarians but they are male and female. so care and our peer organizations, we haven't pulled out in general. just to clarify. we have asked for a suspension while the seek clarity on board. does this ban of not having the men aid workers means because there's a very important fact which i want to highlight. it is not only about employment of females in the international and use it is bigger than that in other than his thought for any woman or girl to interact. she has to, she is only able to interact with people who are related to her. what does this mean? this means that a male, humanitarian aid worker cannot interact and provide humanity in services to women and girls. so while, if there is a condition that endures,

can employ only male humanitarians, which means we can reach only men are males through life sitting humanity in assistance, humana didn't assistance, is for every one person who is in need, it is not i via new brother. so stress that dire need for assistance that you're describing there. what do you think that this suspension of operations is going to mean for those people in the wake of the tale? bonds decision? this is betty betty can so concerning the a deeply disturbed because if we only have men working for a g o z, meaning the humanity in aid workers and men, this would mean that when they go into the communities to provide services, they are only able to interact with males, which means to men south, we cannot reach women and girls who need humanity in assistance. and several studies including care studies, have demonstrated bruin that have been men out affected even more deeply. well,

you and i both know glad when there is less food in the community. we know who he does last. we know who eats least so for their bodies like interviews who are providing play, saving services. if he, they're straight to the agenda for humanitarian, the humanity in assistance cannot be. we table cannot be the way we all have aspired to cannot be everything that we all have committed to. thank you so much for taking the time to bring us up to date there. that state momma, the vice president of humanitarian affairs at care, really appreciate your time or for orthodox russians and ukrainians. christmas is normally celebrated in january, but after russia's invasion, many in ukraine are now choosing to mark the occasion to day instead, as ukraine continues to suffer from deadly russian attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure, president volume or zalinski has delivered a christmas eve address, saying he believes tears will give way to joy christmas on the front

lines. these ukrainian soldiers in buck mote have faced relentless russian attacks for months. the city has seen some of the toughest fighting of the war since it began in february. but even here, so just taking a moment to reflect on the occasion is ordinary near christmas during war a still christmas abdomen over the holiday should remain a holiday. no matter the circumstances we have now. excellent trouble. you can probably hear the incoming shelling, magical and our guys are responding. finance. very loud, but the holidays a holiday here. and it should remain so roughly, you will not be in norwood, them all across ukraine. christmas celebrations. have been very different this year . russia has bombarded energy infrastructure for months of leaving millions without power, water, or heat. yet the scanner being on christmas eve,

a russian missiles struck a market in the liberated city of her son. at least 10 people were killed and more than 50 wounded. but despite the enormity of the challenge facing all ukrainians, president zalinski christmas address struck a tone of defiance and hope. with villamor, glad can. we will see my heroes more cheerfully than ever before, which nice to be louder than the sounds of the generator. my butcher, melissa, we will hear voices and greetings of our loved ones in our souls, latin, even if the connection and the internet go down, was the kidney damage last night. and even in complete darkness, we will find each other to hug each other tightly. and if there is no heat, wouldn't, we will hug for a long time show to warm each other or dinner. russia says it has no plans 1st ceasefire over the holiday period. but that hasn't stopped ukraine from

celebrating this christmas. and germany's president frank, what a shine meyer is using his annual christmas day address to call for a fair peace in ukraine his remarks to the nation or saturday broadcast. and later on christmas day speech is also expected to include a thank you to the people in germany who helped others this year. labor mid 3rd of this year is addressed by president stine mile focuses on what he calls the brutal russian attack against ukraine. he speaks of the suffering of people forced to flee their homeland and spells out that what every one is longing for most is peace. over these or 3, there is not an issue. however, this piece is not yet within reach of the design, and it must be a fair piece of the lawn which neither rewards the land grabel kind, nor abandons people ukraine to the arbitrary actions and violence of their occupiers lead. i'm kaylin can until this piece can be established and it is as

humanitarian imperative that we stand by. those were being attacked, threatened and oppressed. by doing this, we are shining a light of hope in the darkness of injustice. there half know the president talks of the welcome, the refugees from ukraine received when they came to germany. and he praises the solidarity shown by many ordinary germans towards the new arrivals. and frankly, his vaught, a friendly word line, a small gesture of kindness, understanding for others with openness towards strangers. you've offended shine. maia also refers to the continuing threat from climate change after a year in which activists have made headlines with controversial protests. he calls on every one to face up to the problem and praises the commitment of concerned young people. they've all been done by this for we need both got the ambition of the young and the experience of older people,

the other after all minds that we all share a common goal as to do that the young are not the last generation on this planet. and rather that they are the 1st generation in a climate friendly world. despite immense challenges, the president says germans have shown creativity and resolve, building on those virtues. people should look forward with confidence to the year ahead. and here with me in the studio is d. o. v is chief, political correspondent, melinda crane. melinda, you've had a chance to watch shine myers full speech already. what stood out to you about of this year? well, 1st of all, of what we just heard there in regard to the war in ukraine, he often is seen or, or sometimes is seen as a german leader who has been somewhat to conciliatory to russia. also could have been expected as a social democrat, but also as a lutheran, to use this speech, to give a broad appeal for peace. now,

for perhaps even negotiations and he didn't do that. he was very careful to say when peace comes to warren people, it's not around the corner, it's going to take a while. and to imply that when it comes is essentially in the hands of the ukrainians, not on a western tide table. and he said, as we heard, that piece needs to be fair, not to reward russia for land grabs essentially to recognize the suffering of the ukrainians. and i think that's notable. i also think it's notable that he took a distinctly more positive tone than we sometimes heard from him in recent months. he gave a major speech in october. that was very, very sober. that warned that harder and rougher times were coming for germans. that said, people would face limits constraints that the government would not be able to compensate in some ways that speech almost could be seen as instilling fear or worry. whereas this one here very clearly is encouraging people commending them for all their

little gestures and actions of support the way that they are responding to the crisis. and i think that that not only suits the occasion, that absolutely is the kind of crisis leadership that is perhaps sometimes lacking in germany. so shine my are sounding more positive than we've heard him in the past few months. but how optimistic should germans really be with what's been going on? well, interestingly enough, the mood seems to be shifting just a little bit. at the beginning of december, the majority of germans told a national poster that this has been one of the hardest years in memory. yet in fact, we're, we're now seeing at least 50 percent saying that they believe that the country is responding with great resilience. and that they are not worried that, that essentially germany can't handle this crisis. and if you look at the rankings of things that most concerned germans, inflation has slipped down somewhat. and interestingly enough,

things like climate change now or higher in the rankings of worries than for instance, the war. so i think there is some sense for germans as they go into the new year that it could be better than many had feared. okay, thank you. so much for that, that is d w as chief political correspondent, melinda crane. appreciate you joining me in the studio today. we can take a look now at some other world news headlines at this hour. po francis has called for an end of the senseless war in ukraine during his christmas day addressed to worshippers. speaking on the balcony at saint peter's basilica in rome, the pontiff also condemned food being used as a weapon and said the world is suffering from a famine of peace. at least 4 people have been killed and several are missing after a passenger bus plunge off a bridge into a river in north western spain. 2 survivors, including the driver, were taken to nearby hospitals. strong currents,

due to heavy rains in the galleys here, region are hampering search and rescue efforts. and heavy snowfall in japan has killed 14 people and injured 87. thousands of homes have been left without power and transport is heavily disrupted. residents have been asked to refrain from non essential trips until at least monday morning. that's her niece. at this hour, i'm claire richardson in berlin. if you want to find more news and analysis, you can check out our website at d, w dot com. thank you so much for watching. we've got to understand that globalization works, but he does not reach more than 30 percent of the world population in the mediterranean has become a kind of great sarcophagus. if anything he was proud of it was to be a steel worker who had to win.