Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign NGOs to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter.

The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said the female employees would not be allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the Islamic dress code.

It comes days after the universities were ordered to close to women.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator, said he was “deeply concerned” by reports of the letter, which was a “clear breach of humanitarian principles”.

It was not immediately clear how the order would affect UN agencies, which have a large presence in Afghanistan. The UN office for humanitarian affairs said the United Nations would try to meet with Taliban leadership to “obtain clarity on the reported order”. The Charge D’Affaires for Norway, which funds aid in Afghanistan, condemned the move.