UNICEF: Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis Exacerbated by Ban on Girls’ Education
Bayan News – Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), says that the continued ban on girls’ education is exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, on the occasion of the 1,000 days of the ban.
In a statement released on Wednesday (June 12), she described the ban on girls’ education as distressing and heartbreaking, and added that the rights of children, especially girls, cannot be subject to politics.
According to Ms. Russell, the 1,000 days of the ban on girls’ education is equivalent to 3 billion hours of lost educational opportunities for girls.
The UNICEF Executive Director said, “For 1.5 million girls, this systematic deprivation is not only a blatant violation of their right to education, but it also reduces their opportunities and worsens their mental health.”
She emphasized that the ban on girls’ education goes beyond the girls themselves and is exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with serious consequences for the country’s economy and development path.
It is worth noting that the Taliban closed schools for female students above grade six just a few days after taking control of Kabul.
This move by the Taliban resulted in the imposition of sanctions on several Taliban officials, including the Minister of Propagation of Virtue and the Supreme Court.
The Taliban considers the issue of girls’ education an internal matter and has consistently asked human rights organizations and countries not to interfere in such cases.
