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Afghan schoolgirls in Kandahar

Photo: dpa

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is concerned that international organizations could soon be excluded from educational projects in Afghanistan. This would affect thousands of students. The organization demands clarity from the Taliban regime.

"Unicef is extremely concerned by the reports that more than 500,000 children, including 300,000 girls, could lose their access to quality education within a month if NGOs working in the field of education are no longer allowed to operate," said Unicef spokesperson for Afghanistan, Samantha Mort.

The Taliban regime, which came to power in 2021, has already closed most secondary schools for girls and women are no longer allowed to study at universities. Many Afghan women who were employed by aid organizations or the United Nations are no longer allowed to work.

Nevertheless, international organizations and the UN have so far been involved in many educational projects in Afghanistan, including those that take place in rural areas and at home. Humanitarian sources report that in recent days, local authorities have been urged by the Taliban to stop the involvement of international organizations in educational projects.

A WhatsApp message, allegedly from an official in the education sector in Kabul, said that all international organizations must hand over their educational work to local groups within a month.

The ban on female personnel at the United Nations was also delivered by an audio message from a Taliban official. The Taliban regime has not yet officially confirmed the instruction on education.

"Unicef calls on the de facto administration to put the well-being of children at the heart of its decisions and emphasizes that every child has the right to learn," Mort said. The UN estimates that 8.7 million people in Afghanistan are dependent on humanitarian aid in the field of education.

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