Afghanistan's Taliban rulers ordered all national and international NGOs to stop their women employees from working after "serious complaints" about their dress code, the economy ministry said on Saturday (Dec 24).

The order threatened to suspend the operating licences of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that failed to implement the directive.

The move drew swift international condemnation, with governments and organisations warning of the impact on humanitarian services in a country where millions rely on aid.

The latest restriction comes less than a week after the Taliban authorities banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.

While the Taliban had promised a softer form of rule when they returned to power in August last year, they have instead imposed harsh restrictions on women - effectively squeezing them out of public life.

The notification sent to NGOs, a copy of which was obtained by AFP and confirmed by an economy ministry spokesman, cited "serious complaints regarding the non-observance of the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations".

The ministry "instructs all organisations to stop females working until further notice," the notification said, warning that if a group ignores the order, its license "will be cancelled".

It remained unclear whether the directive impacted foreign women staff at NGOs.

Two international NGOs confirmed they had received the notification.

"We are suspending all our activities from Sunday," a top official at an international NGO involved in humanitarian work told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We will soon have a meeting of top officials of all NGOs to decide how to handle this issue."