The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday raised serious concerns about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

OCHA said the Afghan girls and women are deprived of basic rights. “The fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls are under attack,” OCHA said. It also said Afghan women and girls need the UN’s support and solidarity now more than ever.

According to the UN office, humanitarian organizations must aim to scale up assistance to women and girls by providing food, healthcare, education, livelihood opportunities and protection services.

OCHA said 11.8 million women and girls need urgent humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

OCHA’s tweet follows a gathering of women activists in Kabul on Wednesday night who lit candles during a demonstration. The women said they stayed awake all night and “lit candles for freedom."

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate spokesman, reacted to the UN’s remarks, calling them baseless. Mujahid in a tweet said that since the Islamic Emirate has been in power, all the people enjoy rights and the UN report on women’s rights is based on "false information."